Christian Schad - Catalogue Raisonne Volume 1: Paintings

Christian Schad (1894–1982)

Reviewing the sometimes unflinchingly realistic portraits of Christian Schad, this discussion emphasizes how his paintings mirrored society during the “Golden Twenties.” These images showcase Schad’s radical and unique character inherent in his portrayals of artists, leading citizens, aristocrats, and other cultural figures, and the study contends that they continue to have an influence on a diverse range of realistic tendencies in art to this very day. Stressing that his oeuvre is characterized by constant experimentation, an ongoing dialogue with artistic tradition, and innovation, this examination delves into Schad’s past as well, revisiting his joining with the Dada Movement and the unique “Schadographs”— photographs on light-sensitive paper, made without a camera or a lens—that he created from this avant-garde context. From his first paintings in the “new objectivity” style and his return to Germany to the numerous portraits he produced during the 1940s, this biography also touches on Schad’s expressive painting and his experience with magical realism.