Gustav Hartlaub

Johann Gustav Hartlaub - pre 1900

Gustav Friedrich Hartlaub (12 March 1884 – 30 April 1963) was a German art historian, curator, and critic. He is best known for coining the term Neue Sachlichkeit (New Objectivity) to describe a movement in German art that emerged in the 1920s.

Early Life and Education[edit | edit source]

Gustav Hartlaub was born in Bremen, Germany. He studied art history, philosophy, and archaeology at the universities of Munich, Berlin, and Heidelberg. He completed his doctorate in 1907 with a dissertation on the Italian Renaissance painter Lorenzo Lotto.

Career[edit | edit source]

Hartlaub began his career as an assistant at the Kunsthalle Bremen. In 1923, he became the director of the Kunsthalle Mannheim, a position he held until 1933. During his tenure, he organized several influential exhibitions and was instrumental in promoting contemporary art.

Neue Sachlichkeit[edit | edit source]

In 1925, Hartlaub curated the seminal exhibition "Neue Sachlichkeit" at the Kunsthalle Mannheim. The exhibition featured works by artists such as Otto Dix, George Grosz, and Max Beckmann. The term "Neue Sachlichkeit" was used to describe the realistic and socially critical style of these artists, which stood in contrast to the emotional intensity of Expressionism.

Later Life[edit | edit source]

After being dismissed from his position at the Kunsthalle Mannheim by the Nazi Party in 1933, Hartlaub continued to work as an independent scholar and writer. He published several books and articles on art history and criticism. He passed away in Heidelberg in 1963.

Legacy[edit | edit source]

Hartlaub's contributions to art history, particularly his identification and promotion of the Neue Sachlichkeit movement, have had a lasting impact. His work continues to be studied and referenced by art historians and critics.