Ludwig von Hofmann (German, 1861 - 1945)
Breakdown, 1918
oil on canvas, h 88.9 cms; w 69.8 cms
Leicester Museum German Expressionist
Collection
This painting, originally titled The Levelling, was once thought to predate the First World War. However, it was re‑titled after two woodcuts and a drawing—each dated 1918 and closely resembling the painting—were discovered in the Ludwig von Hofmann Archive in Zurich. The drawing bore the inscription Zusammenbruch (‘Breakdown’), depicting the same naked figures cowering before an unassailable rock face looming over them. The painting is now understood as symbolic of the destruction wrought by war.
Thank you for this informative addition to this aesthetical post.
