Charlotte Solomon
Painter (1917-1943) Germany
Charlotte never became a grandmother, but her short life deserves to be told in the way she was able to tell it. Born into a Jewish family in Berlin, Charlotte was a brilliant art student during the rise of National Socialism and demonstrated a privileged talent. In 1938 she had to flee with her grandparents to France where her grandmother committed suicide. At that time her grandfather revealed to her that her mother had also committed suicide, as had two of her aunts and a cousin: the women of the family committed suicide. This truth was a real cataclysm for young Charlotte. To cope with this fatality, she began to paint obsessively. In less than two years (1940-1942) she created "Life? or Theater?" (Leben? oder Theater?), a complex work that mixes theater, painting and music. A dazzling path where she recounts the experiences of her life up to then in a series of 1325 exceptional paintings. This dedication to work allowed her to achieve mental balance and save her life, at least for a time, since in 1943 she and her husband were arrested. Charlotte, who was five months pregnant, ended up in Auschwitz and was probably gassed on the very day of her arrival.
Remember: Sizes may vary by 1 to 2 centimeters.
