The Meeting 

Richard Lindner created this striking, if not surreal, group portrait titled “The Meeting.” Lindner fled Nazi Germany and, later, Nazi-occupied France, eventually arriving in New York City in 1941. This painting reflects his experience of a world in conflict, where identities are destabilized. The characters, who seem to have wandered in from different eras and social strata, are set against an ambiguous background. Their juxtaposition emphasizes the constructed nature of identity. A dominatrix-like figure stands in the foreground, and a figure in regal garb occupies the space next to her; a woman in a tailored suit and red gloves appears almost lost in contemplation.  Lindner creates a tension between the personal and the political, between the individual and the collective, prompting us to consider the complex ways in which we meet and relate to one another.