The painting, created in 1925, depicts the German dancer, actress, and writer Anita Berber, a well-known celebrity who lived during the Weimar Republic. Berber was known for her scandalous performances and lifestyle, and the painting is considered a symbol of the era's excess and artistic daring.
Dix knew Anita Berber personally, having attended several of her live performances. Although Berber posed for this portrait in the nude, the artist decided to depict her wearing a long red dress, on a red background. The dress covers almost her entire body. She looks to her right, while striking a vamp-like pose, with her left hand in front and her right hand resting on her hip. Her hair is also red, and she wears very thick white makeup, which gives her face a mask-like appearance and heart-shaped lips -- much like cabaret performers of the era. Her depiction emphasises her open sexuality and her status as a sexual icon of the time.
In many ways Anita Berber epitomises the character Hermine in Hermann Hesse's novel "Steppenwolf". The novel also serves as a backdrop to the moral debauchery of the Weimar Republic.
Wilhelm Heinrich Otto Dix ( 1891 - 1969) was a German painter and printmaker, noted for his ruthless and harshly realistic depictions of German society during the Weimar Republic and the brutality of war. Along with George Grosz and Max Beckmann, he is widely considered one of the most important artists of the Neue Sachlichkeit.
The painter combined approaches from Dada, expressionism, and New Objectivity to create a satirical artistic style. Dix was an unconventional—but successful—portraitist. His works also explored both war and everyday life in mid-20th century Germany.
In 1933, the Nazi Party condemned Dix’s art as “degenerate” and destroyed many of his paintings.
He was forbidden from incorporating social and political critique into his work for the duration of the Nazi regime. Following World War II, Dix continued to paint until his death in 1969.
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