Portrait of Mr. Bittermann

Otto DixWW-1923-119116

1923·Gouache and watercolor, with scraping, over graphite, on ivory wove paper·54.4 × 46.2 cm (21 7/16 × 18 1/4 in.)

<p>While many of the subjects for Dix's portraits can be identified, his watercolor portraits are often embodiments of a stereotype, providing an outlet for his critical attacks on society. Dix's portrait of Mr. Bittermann is an example of this type of depiction. He presents us with an image of the quintessential, hardnosed profiteer: the Bitter Man, unable to see beyond the glare that clouds his vision and apparently blind to the ills he perpetuates in the economy.</p>

Catalogue

Year: 1923
Medium: Gouache and watercolor, with scraping, over graphite, on ivory wove paper
Dimensions: 54.4 × 46.2 cm (21 7/16 × 18 1/4 in.)
Collection: Art Institute of Chicago
Artist: Otto Dix

Artist

Otto Dix

Painting

Wilhelm Heinrich Otto Dix 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.

Singen, Germany

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