The Hygienic Apparatus: Weimar Cinema and Environmental Disorder. By Paul Dobryden. Evanston, IL: Northwestern University Press, 2022. vii + 208 pages + 21 b/w images. $120.00 hardcover, $39.95 paperback or eBook.

Abstract

focused on selected artworks. But the conclusion could have been an opportunity to explore how key aspects of the volume’s topic resonate post-Weimar, such as Dix’s work in the Third Reich or in West Germany, or art and reproducibility in the digital age, or a comparison of Weimar-era writings on fashion and temporality with more recent texts. Several chapters conclude by introducing an additional Dix painting, but as the chapters already thoroughly (and superbly) address their topics, these conclusions could have instead drawn the big picture for the reader, all without diluting the strengths of this already-strong book. Otto Dix and Weimar Media Culture is a thoroughly researched and nuanced study and well-suited for graduate students, independent scholars, and faculty in art history, especially those interested in modern German art or media studies.