Interior 1981

Anselm Kiefer created this ‘Interior’ painting using mixed media on canvas. Kiefer was born in Germany at the close of WWII, and his work often grapples with the weight of German history, identity, and the Holocaust. The painting depicts a hall of the Reich Chancellery in Berlin, a symbol of Nazi power. Kiefer transforms this space into a somber, almost haunted interior. His use of heavy textures and dark colors creates a sense of unease. The grand architecture is rendered with a sense of decay, suggesting the transience of power and the inevitable collapse of ideologies. Kiefer confronts the unassimilated past. By revisiting and representing this loaded imagery, he seeks to understand the complexities of German identity after the catastrophic events of the war. The emotional impact of the painting lies in its ability to evoke both the grandeur and the horror associated with this history.