Untitled 1944

This scathing caricature by the Soviet collective Kukryniksy shows Hitler as a kind of stitched-together monster. The artists are working with earthy browns and pinks, thin washes of color, and energetic lines, probably using ink and watercolor on paper. I love the way Hitler's figure seems to droop, with dangling threads showing him as a kind of scarecrow, all sewn together like a rag doll. You can sense their anger and frustration with Hitler's regime. The brushstrokes feel so immediate, like they just had to get this out and onto the page. It reminds me of other artists who used art as a weapon, like Grosz or Heartfield. It’s like they are all talking to one another, trying to make sense of a world gone mad. Painting is a form of embodied expression and a way to process the chaos of war.