Richard Oelze - Artist Info

About Richard Oelze

  • Biography

    The Story behind Forgotten German Surrealist Painter Richard Oelze
    Artsy Editorial, By Abigail Cain, Dec 29th, 2016 5:00 pm

    Most will recognize the names of his associates: Salvador Dalí, Max Ernst, André Breton. As for Richard Oelze himself, memory of the German Surrealist has faded.
    Certainly, the artist never cultivated his legacy—quite the opposite, in fact. Oelze is thought to have destroyed something like two-thirds of his oeuvre; surviving early works by the painter are now few and far between. While he ran in high-profile social circles, few knew him well. Oelze was a reluctant socializer to begin with, and following stints in World Wars I and II, he became even more reclusive. For 20 years, he lived alon...

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