Georg Tappert

 With his music hall, cabaret theatre and nightclub motifs Georg Tappert can be considered one of the most important German Expressionist artists. Having grown up in Berlin’s nightclub district he was one of the first artists to discover the capital’s exotic 'demimonde' as a subject for his pictures. Apart from his Expressionist paintings Tappert’s work also encompasses numerous wood and linocuts, lithographs, etchings, drawings and watercolours. After studying at the Akademie der Bildenden Künste in Karlsruhe Tappert lived in the Worpswede artists’ colony from 1906–09 where he developed his expressively realistic style. He returned to Berlin in 1910 where some of his most important depictions of figures and nudes were created over the next few years. Tappert continued in this vein into the 1920s and such works are of key importance within his œuvre. In 1933 his art was deemed as ‘degenerate’ and Tappert was prohibited from painting and exhibiting. As a result, he painted landscapes before relinquishing his work as an artist for good. His artistic œuvre then fell into oblivion. It has only been since his death that his work has gradually been rediscovered.

Tappert was a co-founder of the New Secession in Berlin in 1910 which exhibited works by avant-garde artists from various associations up until 1914. His business brought him into contact with Flechtheim through his function as chairman, as works by artists represented by Flechtheim were also included in the exhibitions. Tappert himself, however, was never included in Flechtheim’s exhibition agenda. One portfolio of Tappert’s work however did appear in 1920 in the series ‘Ausgaben und Drucke der Galerie Flechtheim’ (editions and prints from the Galerie Flechtheim). Published in an edition of 136 and entitled 'Der Nachtwandler', it included eight woodcuts by the artist illustrating a poem of the same name by Theodor Däubler. Some of the graphic works had already been shown at exhibitions in Berlin, Hamburg and Dresden beforehand.