Chapter Six: Context – Romani people
Creating legends
For a long time, Otto Mueller’s life was the subject of various legends. Is this still the case after a fact check?
Otto Mueller travelled repeatedly to Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia (then a province within the Kingdom of Yugoslavia) from 1924 onwards. He had probably discovered the Romani people in Russia during the First World War and, like other artists, he had some of them modelling for him during his trips to Eastern Europe.
Twenty years after his death, his sister Emmy reported that he lived “like one of them”. Although it is true that his sojourns lasted for several weeks, he always stayed in tourist hotels and used a travel guide for communicating with members of the Romani people. Moreover, there is no evidence that he was of Romani descent on his mother’s side — a rumour fuelled by a novel from the pen of his uncle Carl Hauptmann. Nonetheless, this legend has been the basis for the romanticised interpretation of his paintings for decades. Viewed objectively, many of them convey clichés and have incorrect words in their titles.
In the Romani language, the word rom means “people”. This explains why the various European ethnic groups using this language decided to be called “the Romani people”. Despite the fact that the Sinti, in particular, have been living in German-speaking countries since the 15th century, Romani people today still face racial prejudices based not only on derogative, but also on romanticising stereotypes.
“We greatly appreciate Otto Mueller’s paintings. Nonetheless, they are the source of controversies among us as many of them figure Gypsies, i.e. artificial figures that embody his ideal of rebels [...] but do not correspond to [...] the actual Romani people.” (Central Council of German Sinti and Roma)
We can assume that Otto Mueller picked up aspects of the life of the Romani people and interpreted them in a way that matched his self-perception as an artist. The poverty he staged in some works is a problem not only because it reinforces a stereotype, but also because it glamorises real hardship.
Using sketches and photos, Mueller produced some eighty paintings and prints figuring Romani people. As no written documents are available relating to his models for these works, we know little about them. Who, for example, is the seated person in this painting?
Here you can find out what the community thinks of this painting:
Shortly after Mueller’s death, the Nazis decided that his works figuring Romani people belonged to what they called “degenerate art”.
Why are the names of models so important?
Because when they pictured anonymous Romani women, artists like Otto Mueller reduced them to bare exotic objects. Knowing the name of a model enables us to reconstruct his or her personal history, and acknowledge their contribution to art history in general.
Małgorzata Mirga-Tas
The artist and activist Luna De Rosa (born in 1991) retraces the history of discrimination against the Romani people. With works such as Antigypsism, she visualises complex and ongoing religious, ethnic and social conflicts.
Moreover, she emphasises the cultural diversity of the Romani people and celebrates its resilience over the centuries.
Chapters: More about Otto Mueller
Basic concept – Close to nature
A constant – Partners
Contours – Biography
Classic subject – Bathers
Colonialism – Black German history
Kaleidoscope – Viewpoint
