Totalitarian art

Totalitarian art. A term applied to art produced in the 20th century in tyrannical states that refuse to tolerate any form of expression that does not conform to official ideology. It is applied particularly to art in Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, and Soviet Russia, so the 1930s can be seen as marking the peak of Totalitarian art (an exhibition at the Hayward Gallery, London, in 1995 was entitled ‘Art and Power: Europe under the Dictators, 1930–45'). There is a good deal in common between the artistic policies of Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia, both of which fostered subjects that glorified their respective countries, depicted in a style of academic realism (see NATIONAL SOCIALIST ART and SOCIALIST REALISM), but Fascist Italy was comparatively liberal in this respect; it had no official artistic policy, using both conservative and avant-garde styles for propaganda (see FUTURISM and NOVECENTO ITALIANO). Igor Golomstock's book Totalitarian Art (1990) includes the People's Republic of China as well as Germany, Italy, and the Soviet Union; Socialist Realism spread to China in the 1950s (see XU BEIHONG). Golomstock writes that ‘The ceremonial portrait of the leader (in painting and in monumental sculpture) occupied the most important position in the hierarchy of genres of totalitarian art. The majority of the most important State prizes were awarded to works in this genre, and it was their creators who filled the key positions in artistic life and constituted the artistic establishment of their countries … The second most important genre of totalitarian art—the “historico-revolutionary theme” or “historical painting”—was also devoted primarily to portrayals of the leaders, this time as “creators of history” leading the revolutionary masses … the religious nature of these paintings is made apparent not so much by their titles as by their use of the compositional schemes characteristic of Christian iconography. The numerous paintings of meetings between the leaders and various sections of the population, for example, remind one of paintings of “The Appearance of Christ to the People” … the tendency to deify the leader … is an important characteristic of all totalitarian art … Although totalitarian art included many representations of the happy life of the people and their devoted labour, this genre occupied a considerably less important place in the artistic hierarchy. Labour … was always portrayed either as a fierce struggle or a joyful festival … The most neglected genres in totalitarian art were landscape and still-life. Even a landscape, however, was always treated in one of two ways: either as an image of the Fatherland, intended to inspire people with love for their country, or as an arena for social transformations—the so-called “industrial landscape”.’