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The Thresher of Masuria
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Object number1969/70.20

The Thresher of Masuria

Artist (German, 1870-1938)
Date1915
Mediumcharcoal on paper
Dimensionsimage: 21 1/2 × 16 1/2 in. (54.6 × 41.9 cm)
frame: 27 1/2 × 21 7/8 × 3/4 in. (69.9 × 55.6 × 1.9 cm)
Credit LineGift of Mr. and Mrs. Donald S. Gilmore
Exhibition History"German Expressionist Art in Western Michigan Collections," KIA traveling exhibition (Mar. 1 - July 1, 1979). "Michigan Masterpieces: Art from Public Collections," Grand Rapids Art Museum (June 28 - July 28, 1985), Flint Institute of Arts (Aug. 4 - Sept. 1, 1985), Kresge Art Museum (Sept. 15 - Oct. 13, 1985), Lee Hall Gallery at Northern Michigan University (Oct. 20 - Nov. 17, 1985), DIA (Dec. 9, 1985 - Jan. 26, 1986), KIA (Feb. 2 - Mar. 2, 1986), University of Michigan Museum of Art (Mar. 7 - Apr. 9, 1986), Muskegon Museum of Art (May 4 - June 1, 1986). "Two by Twenty: Artists in the KIA Collection," KIA (Sept. 3 - Dec. 5, 1996). "Masterworks from the KIA Permanent Collection," Dennos Museum Center (Mar. 1997 - Feb. 1998), Midland Center for the Arts (Apr. - July 1998). "70 Years, 70 Works from the KIA Permanent Collection," KIA (Nov. 19, 1994 - Feb. 10, 1995). "Highlights from the Permanent Collection: Prints and Drawings," KIA (Sept. 15 - Nov. 25, 2001). "Masterworks on Paper," KIA Long Gallery (Sept. 2005 - Jan. 2006). "Germany in Transition: Prints and Drawings 1890-1923," KIA Long Gallery (Apr. 20 - July 15, 2006). "Master Drawings from the Permanent Collection," KIA Long Gallery (Nov. 18, 2006 - Feb. 4, 2007). "Curator's Choice: European Works on Paper," KIA Long Gallery (May 9 - Aug. 27, 2008). "Lasting Legacy: A Collection for Kalamazoo," Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, Kalamazoo, Michigan (Sep. 6, 2014 - Jan. 4, 2015).Label TextErnst Barlach completed this drawing during his brief military service (1915-16). The thresher represents Germany’s revered World War I military commander, Paul von Hindenburg, whose victories on the Eastern Front made him a national hero and an icon of German strength and honor. Hindenburg’s strong arms and massive hands are cutting down Germany’s enemy, the Russians, rather than wheat. Through his confident and gestural line, the artist depicts Hindenburg as a solid and powerful leader. Barlach is better known for his sculpture than his graphic art. In the 1930s, the Nazis branded Barlach’s art “degenerate” and by the time of his death, almost 400 pieces of his art had been removed from German museums and some had been destroyed.