HOLOCAUST REPRESENTATIONS IN PAINTING BY FELIX NUSSBAUM

Abstract

The article is devoted to the analysis of Holocaust representations in Felix Nussbaum’s paintings according to historical-philosophical, visual-anthropological, semiotic analysis. Topic of the article is justified by insufficient study of Holocaust images in painting, including the way of representation the memory of the Jewish genocide in painting, experience of deportation to death camps, Holocaust traumas. The relevance of the article is due to insufficient study of the work of the German artist of Jewish origin Felix Nussbaum, who was a victim of Holocaust. Nussbaum as an artist represents an artistic movement «New Objectivity» which was focused on reflecting real essence of things; the artist was also influenced by modernist movements as well as the anti-Nazi one. Nussbaum is a victim of Holocaust who was forced to flee from Germany with his family, constantly go into hiding, and in the end he perished in the concentration camp Auschwitz. Significant period of Nussbaum’s legacy is dedicated to the reflection of horrors in the camp Saint-Cyprien (an internment camp), where he was sent. The author considers the concepts of cultural memory in foreign historiography, concepts of the existentialism philosophy, through the prism of which he analyzes the practices of Jewish genocide (Jewish isolation, destiny of refugees, etc.) and what images panting used for its representation. The article investigates, how events of Holocaust affected the formation of artist`s subjectivity, his artistic manner, symbols and artistic means which he uses in his works. In the perspective of visual-anthropological analysis author highlights problematic topics and typology of images, which were reflected in the paintings of Felix Nussbaum, namely: traumatic experience of emigration for survival, experience of deportation and life in the camp, feelings of fear and approaching of death, family theme and personal experiences of the Holocaust. The author highlights autobiographical, historical-philosophical, artistic aspects of Felix Nussbaum`s paintings. The article considers what artistic means Nussbaum used to oppose the policy of Jewish genocide through painting. Based on Felix Nussbaum’s work, the author analyses how the artist depicts «traumatic places» (based on Aleida Assmann), and how he expresses his traumatic experience in artistic images.