Otto Neumann: Selections from the Rothschild Collection

Oglethorpe University Museum of Art’s new exhibit opens on September 23 and presents more than 100 drawings, watercolors, and prints by German artist Otto Neumann. Neumann, a Gentile who refused to divorce his Jewish wife, Hilde Rothschild, lived with the constant strain of the political climate in Nazi Germany. During this period of oppression, Neumann drew strength from his love of family, literature, and art. Inspired by Gustav Doré’s illustrations, Neumann illustrated Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy, creating iterations of sketches and prints of the various cantos. He created interpretive studies of classical mythology and Biblical stories. Much of Neumann’s work speaks of conflict, duress, and crises. Introspective self-portraits, drawings, and paintings of his wife and daughter are also on view and show a closely bonded family under strain. This exhibition gives a unique window into the life of a reserved man with a revolutionary spirit.