Everyday life after the First World War was marked by poverty and hunger. Large sections of the population lived on the breadline and there were many war invalids. In this situation, artists saw it as their duty to highlight social and political contradictions.
Scholz's satirical and aggressive work 'Industrial Farmers' was inspired by a personal post-war experience. When he tried to obtain food for himself and his family in the countryside, driven by hunger, he was rudely rebuffed by a farmer who told him to get his food from the compost heap. The 30-year-old Scholz fought back with the means at his disposal: in this caricature, he denounces greed, stupidity, and hypocrisy, capturing the ugliness of human nature.
It depicts a farming family — father, mother and son — with banknotes stuck to the father's head, making it clear that he has nothing but profit maximisation on his mind. His life is one of materialism and greed; and although the Bible in his hand demonstrates piety, it can only be hypocritical. With bitter sharpness, Scholz attacks the selfishness and greed of those who were better off, those circles that indirectly supported the war and profited from it. The glued-on banknotes, newspaper clippings and photos establish a direct link to reality.
- Location & Dating
- 1920
- Material & Technique
- Sperrholz
- Dimensions
- 98 x 70 cm
- Museum
- Von der Heydt Museum
- Inventory number
- G 1336