Friedl Dicker-Brandeis, Vienna 1898-Auschwitz 1944

by Elena Makarova

Friedl presents, for the first time in book form, the art and life of renowned Holocaust artist and teacher Friedl Dicker-Brandeis. A labor of love, painstakingly researched and compiled over many years, this deluxe volume is being published in conjunction with the Simon Wiesenthal Center / Museum of Tolerance and coincides with the American opening of a worldwide traveling exhibition of the work of Dicker-Brandeis and her students. The U.S. trour begins in Atlanta, November, 2001. More than a biography, the book contains over 400 color plates, including reproductions of rare art, letters and photographs gathered from museums and private collections throughout the world.

Genres: History, Art

256 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 1999

Reviews

[Rdonn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I became interested in Friedl Dicker-Brandeis through a series of books about children's art and poetry from Terezin concentration camp. It started in 1963 when I was given my first copy of "I Never Saw Another Butterfly", a book that has meant a lot to me. I became interested in this woman reading comments made about her by children and adults. This book, albeit a coffee table size has many reproductions of her work, her children's, but more importantly it writes comprehensively of her life and also quotes letters she wrote her best friend, an Aryan, about art. She gives her a terrific course in art appreciation through letters!! I think I understand her better, and also wish she could have been my art teacher. She uses art as therapy, as a way of becoming free, and many said the hours drawing with her, despite being in Terezin were among the happiest of their lives!! She was a pioneer in art therapy, but also one of her Bauhaus teachers said if she'd lived she could have been the greatest woman artist of the 20th century. She and her art need to be remembered and her theories put into practice. She was gassed at Auschwitz aged 46.

[Daniel L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A True Masterpiece - The Book, The Art, and the Artist

Following the ancient Greek dictum "mega biblion, mega kaka," I approached buying a coffee table-sized book with trepidation. However, having read "I Never Saw Another Butterfly" and other books on life (if you can call it that) in the Terezin Ghetto, I knew this was a volume I had to have. Yes, it's a hefty book, but it is worth every ounce.

How can one do justice to writing about someone who was not only a phenomenal artist, but also an outstanding person? That is a daunting task, to say the least; again, this book meets the challenge. Elena Marakova has done an outstanding job in covering the life and art of Friedl Dicker-Brandeis, selecting works of art and original quotations from people who know Friedl personally to "illustrate" her biography.

The book starts out offering a fine introduction to what the Bauhaus movement was about, the cities in which Friedl lived, and the Terezin (Theresienstadt) Ghetto. This is followed by beautifully reproduced examples of Friedl's work; these examples show not only what an amazingly versatile artist Friedl was, but also convey the artist's moods; for example, the somber tones of Friedl's paintings from Prague convey the sadness of her mood. The third section, the main reason I purchased this book, covers Friedl's years in Terezin. This section is both sad and inspiring. Ms. Marakova discusses Friedl's teaching methods (art teachers, take note!), accompanied by much first-hand information from people who knew her and lived to tell about it - most notably Georg Eisler and Edith Kramer, both of whom clearly convey their debt and admiration for Friedl. It is also remarkable to see the photos of artists as adults juxtaposed with their drawings from Terezin. Of course, there are also drawings from artists, to use a phrase that appears all too often in "I Never Saw Another Butterfly," perished at Auschwitz.

This book is much more than something to place on a coffee table - it is a book to read, savor, and treasure.