About this item
As a veteran of the First World War, and an expert in art history and medicine, Hans Prinzhorn was uniquely placed to explore the connection between art and madness. The work he collected - ranging from expressive paintings to life-size rag dolls and fragile sculptures made from chewed bread - contained a raw, emotional power, and the book he published about the material inspired a new generation of modern artists, Max Ernst, Andr Breton, and Salvador Dal among them. By the mid-1930s, however, Prinzhorn's collection had begun to attract the attention of a far more sinister group. Modernism was in full swing when Adolf Hitler arrived in Vienna in 1907, hoping to forge a career as a painter. Rejected from art school, this troubled young man became convinced that modern art was degrading the Aryan soul, and once he had risen to power he ordered that modern works be seized and publicly shamed in "degenerate art" exhibitions, which became wildly popular.
About the Author
Charlie English is a British non-fiction author and former head of international news at the Guardian. He has written three books, including The Snow Tourist (2008) and The Book Smugglers of Timbuktu, aka The Storied City (2017) . His third, The Gallery of Miracles and Madness, was published in August 2021. He lives in London with his family. He may be reached via charlieenglish.net and twitter.com/charlieenglish1?
