101 - Raoul Hausmann (1886-1971)

Raoul Hausmann (1886-1971) Hannah Höch 1916 Charcoal on paper monogrammed and dated lower center 67 x 49 cm Provenance: > Artcurial > Private collection, Paris (by descent) Condition report: Framed Raoul Hausmann and Hannah Höch met in the Dada Berlin of 1915 and developed a romantic and artistic relationship that strongly influenced their careers. Together, they participated in the invention of Dadaist photomontage, a technique of cutting up and recomposing images from the press, advertising and photography to create critical, fragmented works. Hausmann was one of Berlin's leading Dada theorists: he defended a radical "anti-art", experimented with sound poetry, typography and collage, and sought to destroy traditional art forms. Höch, meanwhile, developed a more personal and political approach to photomontage, focusing on the media, stereotypes and the status of women in Weimar society. Their collaboration was essential in the early days of the movement, but their artistic paths gradually diverged. Hausmann remained associated with a more theoretical and collective Dada approach, while Höch became a major figure of modern collage, with a more ironic and critical oeuvre, notably on questions of gender and power. Their separation in the early 1920s put an end to their relationship, but each pursued an important career, making a lasting contribution to the history of avant-garde art.