Anschluss - Alice im Wunderland, 1942
Annexation - Alice in Wonderland
Oskar Kokoschka (* 1 March 1886 in Pöchlarn, Lower Austria; † 22 February 1980 in Montreux, Switzerland)
Oil on canvas
Leopold Museum Vienna
The museum's explanatory text for this painting states:
"In a series of complex allegories in the style of political caricatures from the 18th and 19th centuries, Kokoschka voices his criticism of the allied forces' policy of appeasement towards Hitler's aggressive war policy. [He provided a corresponding commentary on a photograph of this painting (the first two sentences are also in the original in English):] "The 'Anschluss' 1939 [sic!]*. Speak not evil, see not evil, hear not evil, this is how the three monkeys in the Buddhist legend are remembered. The truth must neither be told, heard nor seen, even though it is covered by a big leaf, but Vienna may burn and the children there may be left to starve. The Great Powers of this day don't seem to mind this, carrying on calmly with their violence policy. OK."
A politician, identified as Nevil Chamberlain by his helmet and his moustache, a Nazi soldier, and a bishop bring their hands to their heads, like the monkeys who say no, see no and hear no evil. The male protagonists symbolize the three major European powers - England, Nazi Germany and France - and the three authorities - capital, military and clergy - whose abuse of power has brought Europe to the brink of its existence. The smiling Alice [...] portrays the naked "truth" and personification of Austria. She is standing, surrounded by a barbed-wire border in front of a Veinna in flames, behind a beheaded Mother of God: the sacrificed life-giving principle. According to Kokoschka, Austria had let in the dangers of Austro-fascism at the latest with the civil war in 1934 - which he also expounded in texts such as 'The Essence of Austrian Cultural History' (1945) - and thereby become an easy "victim" of Nazi control, passively tolerated by the Western powers."
* The so-called Anschluss took place in 1938. But perhaps the year refers to the year of creation of this painting. 1939 seems to me much more likely than the year 1942 given in the museum. At any rate, the consequences of the Western policy of appeasement in the case of Hitler's war policy teach us that such a policy leads to millions of deaths and is completely irresponsible. Appeasement in the case of Putin, Hitler's revenant, would be a crime against humanity.
Anschluss - Alice im Wunderland, 1942
Annexation - Alice in Wonderland
Oskar Kokoschka (* 1 March 1886 in Pöchlarn, Lower Austria; † 22 February 1980 in Montreux, Switzerland)
Oil on canvas
Leopold Museum Vienna
The museum's explanatory text for this painting states:
"In a series of complex allegories in the style of political caricatures from the 18th and 19th centuries, Kokoschka voices his criticism of the allied forces' policy of appeasement towards Hitler's aggressive war policy. [He provided a corresponding commentary on a photograph of this painting (the first two sentences are also in the original in English):] "The 'Anschluss' 1939 [sic!]*. Speak not evil, see not evil, hear not evil, this is how the three monkeys in the Buddhist legend are remembered. The truth must neither be told, heard nor seen, even though it is covered by a big leaf, but Vienna may burn and the children there may be left to starve. The Great Powers of this day don't seem to mind this, carrying on calmly with their violence policy. OK."
A politician, identified as Nevil Chamberlain by his helmet and his moustache, a Nazi soldier, and a bishop bring their hands to their heads, like the monkeys who say no, see no and hear no evil. The male protagonists symbolize the three major European powers - England, Nazi Germany and France - and the three authorities - capital, military and clergy - whose abuse of power has brought Europe to the brink of its existence. The smiling Alice [...] portrays the naked "truth" and personification of Austria. She is standing, surrounded by a barbed-wire border in front of a Veinna in flames, behind a beheaded Mother of God: the sacrificed life-giving principle. According to Kokoschka, Austria had let in the dangers of Austro-fascism at the latest with the civil war in 1934 - which he also expounded in texts such as 'The Essence of Austrian Cultural History' (1945) - and thereby become an easy "victim" of Nazi control, passively tolerated by the Western powers."
* The so-called Anschluss took place in 1938. But perhaps the year refers to the year of creation of this painting. 1939 seems to me much more likely than the year 1942 given in the museum. At any rate, the consequences of the Western policy of appeasement in the case of Hitler's war policy teach us that such a policy leads to millions of deaths and is completely irresponsible. Appeasement in the case of Putin, Hitler's revenant, would be a crime against humanity.