Identity and image

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This book examines the image and identity of émigré artists from Nazi Germany in Britain between 1933 and 1945, focusing on a neglected area of Exile Studies. It employs methodologies from Exile Studies, History of Art, and Postcolonialism, offering a fresh perspective on this emigration. The study is structured into five chapters: Chapter One introduces the historiography, methodology, and structure. Chapter Two outlines the socio-political patterns of emigration, creating a historical context for the subsequent chapters. Chapter Three analyzes the British perception of refugee artists and their self-representations, highlighting organizations like the Free German League of Culture and institutions founded by émigrés. Chapter Four delves into the works created during internment and those produced for refugee organizations. Chapter Five reflects on the findings through three postcolonial concepts: diaspora communities, the notion of home, and the gendered identity of refugees. An appendix lists émigré artists with biographical details. Key findings reveal that while the artists shared a refugee status, this did not translate into a unified artistic identity; “refugee art” was largely a construct of the British press and organizations. Additionally, the notion that modern art transcended nationality is challenged, as cultural identities in 1930s and 1940s Europe were shaped by nation-state perspectives.