Slap in the Face Drawing created by Karl Schwesig postwar depicting a beating he witnessed in a concentration camp
Extent and Medium
overall: Height: 16.875 inches (42.863 cm) | Width: 22.500 inches (57.15 cm)
Creator(s)
- Karl Schwesig (Subject)
- Karl Schwesig (Artist)
Biographical History
Karl Schwesig was born on June 19, 1898, in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. His father was a miner. From 1916 to 1918, Schwesig served in the German Army during the First World War (1914-1918). In 1918, Schwesig began studying at the Academy of Fine Arts in Dusseldorf. In 1921, he left the conservative academy and joined the Junge Rhineland artist group. In 1924, Schwesig cofounded the satirical magazine Die Peitsche (The Whip). The right wing Nazi Party was growing rapidly in popularity duirng the 1920s and Schwesig was an outspoken anti-Nazi. He joined the Communist Party in the late 1920’s. Hitler came to power in Germany in January 1933 and the country was soon ruled by a Nazi dictatorship. On July 11, 1933, Schwesig was arrested for his anti-Nazi commentary. He was detained by the SA and interrogated for the names of colleagues who also resisted the Nazis. He was sent to Ulmer Höhe prison in Dusseldorf. In 1934, he was convicted of treason and served his sentence in Bendahl prison in Wuppertal. After his release on November 18, 1934, Schwesig was granted political asylum in Belgium and lived in Antwerp. In 1937, his German citizenship was revoked and his property in Germany was confiscated by the Nazi regime. On May 10, 1940, Germany invaded Belgium. Schwesig was arrested and deported to St. Cyprien internment camp in Vichy France. In October, he was moved to Gurs internment camp after St. Cyprien was destroyed by flooding. In February 1941, he was transferred to Noé internment camp. In March 1943, he was sent to Nexon internment camp and classified as a politcal prisoner. In June, Schwesig was sent to Fort Romainville prison in Paris and in July to Ulmer Höhe prison in Dusseldorf. Throughout his imprisonment, Schwesig drew images of daily life in the camps. Schwesig was liberated in Ulmer Höhe after American forces captured Dusseldorf on April 17, 1945. The war ended when Germany surrendered on May 7. Schwesig stayed in Dusseldorf. He died, age 57, in 1955.
Archival History
The drawing was acquired by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 1988.
Acquisition
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection
Scope and Content
Ink wash drawing created by Karl Schwesig in 1948 in Dusseldorf. The drawing depicts two guards beating a nude inmate in Noe internment camp in France, where Schwesig was held from February to March 1941. After Hitler came to power in January 1933, Schwesig, a Communist, was arrested and imprisoned for 16 months. After his release in 1935, he lived in Antwerp, Belgium. On May 10, 1940, Germany invaded Belgium. Schwesig was arrested and sent to Vichy France, where he was held in St. Cyprien, Gurs, Noe, and Nexon internment camps. In 1943, he was sent to Ulmer Hoeh prison in Dusseldorf, where he was liberated by American forces in April 1945.
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions on access
Conditions Governing Reproduction
No restrictions on use
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Ink wash drawing on light brown paper, depicting a nude inmate been beaten by a guard. The inmate stands in the center, facing the guards. His back is shaded with crisscrossed black lines in the center and he is emaciated and bald, with a large nose. Two guards are facing forward, wearing military uniforms with tall black boots and kepis. The guard on the left is raising his fist to strike the inmate. The guard on the right is watching with his hands on hips. In the background, 5 nude inmates stand with their arms raised and their heads turned to the left. They are emaciated, with thin legs and visible ribs. The ground is heavily shaded with black wash below the figures. On the back, there is an ink wash drawing of 3 men in jackets and caps, with faces shaded with thin black lines. The man on the right is leaning back and holding a wrench over his head. The man in the center holds a tool with a cord. The man on the left is talking to the man in the center. They are surrounded by angled beams.
back, lower left corner, pencil : 0/35 back, lower left corner, stamped, purple ink : Nachlaß Karl Schwesig [Estate Karl Schwesig] back, lower left corner, written, blue ink : 411 back, lower center, pencil : 91 / I-EM back, lower right corner, pencil : 800.-
People
- Schwesig, Karl, 1898-1955.
Subjects
- Concentration camps in art.
- Artists--Germany--Biography.
- Political prisoners--France--Biography.
- World War, 1939-1945--Prisoners and prisons, German.
- Political refugees--France.
- Anti-Nazi movement in art.
Genre
- Object
- Art