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Image of Berlin

Berlin
Mixed Media (2D)

1989
144 x 168 x 12 in. (365.76 x 426.72 x 30.48 cm)

David Best (San Francisco, California, 1945 - )

Object Type: Mixed Media (2D)
Medium and Support: Mixed media
Credit Line: Gift of the artist
Accession Number: 1993.01

Exhibition


Visual Politics: The Art of Engagement
, November 20, 2005 - March 5, 2006, New Wing, First Floor, Gibson Family Gallery and Plaza Gallery, San José Museum of Art. Circulated to: Katzen Art Center at American University, Washington, DC, April 9-July 29, 2006.

Disarming Parables, November 2, 2002 - June 29, 2003, Plaza Gallery, San José Museum of Art.

Into the 21st Century: Selections from the Permanent Collection, May 22 -September 12, 1999, Second floor, New Wing, San José Museum of Art.

SJMA Label Text


Visual Politics: The Art of Engagement (2005-2006)

On November 9, 1938, Germany’s Third Reich initiated the mass destruction of Jewish homes, shops, and synagogues. Throughout Nazi-controlled Europe, the night of violence became known as Kristallnacht, or the “Night of Broken Glass.” David Best’s painting suggests the tumultuous chaos of this event. His emotional brushwork, combined with broken glass and obscure imagery borrowed from old engravings, infuse this monumental work with enduring power. Best created this work in 1989, the year the Berlin Wall came down re-uniting Germany. The goddess of peace, the central figure in this work also guards the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. The fabric near the top of the frame covers a Nazi swastika.

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Exhibition List
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Dimensions
  • Frame Dimensions: 144 x 168 x 12 in. (365.76 x 426.72 x 30.48 cm)

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