A discussion of a sadder aspect of the German art movement, Adolf Ziegler‘s triptych of Die Vier Elemente is an example of the horrors of the Nazi experience on humanity and, specifically, art. Nazi doctrine viewed modern art as “degenerate art,” one that did not fit into the National Socialist dogma of racial purity, obedience to state, and the militaristic society. The Nazis confiscated and destroyed thousands of so-called degenerate art during the Third Reich period (1933-1945). Ziegler was a staunch Nazi, and his four elements – Fire, Earth, Water, and Air – emphasize the Nazi ideals of a racist worldview and a chauvinistic-misogynistic view of femininity.
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