Bidspirit auction | Large painting: Anatomy of Power

Large painting: Anatomy of Power - H. Klem, Vienna 1954 - Large painting: Anatomy of Power - H. Klem, Vienna 1954 Oil on canvas, signed and dated “H. Klem, Vienna 1954” in the upper left corner, probably Hilde Klem, see also Artothek des Bundes Wien. Dimensions: 120 x 120 cm. Good condition, needs cleaning. From a private estate. The large-format painting from 1954 shows a dramatically staged tableau of violence, power and destruction. In the center of the picture are historical figures such as Adolf Hitler and the Roman Emperor Augustus with Napoleon and another person at a card table, which refers to military planning and the claim to power.. The picture is pervaded by expressive red and orange tones reminiscent of fire and destruction, with various scenes of war, suffering and destruction unfolding around the center. These include stonings, crucifixions, massacres, wars of conquest, torture, slavery, genocide, etc. It is the expression of a post-war painter who, by juxtaposing Hitler with Emperor Augustus, presents a critical reflection on the abuse of power and the cyclical recurrence of violence in history.