“Nuremberg” by Anselm Kiefer is a large-scale artwork created in 1982 using acrylic, emulsion, and straw on canvas. Its significant dimensions span 280 cm in height and 380 cm in width, indicating the work’s imposing presence.
The piece appears to portray a vast, textured field, likely referencing the landscape around the city of Nuremberg. Kiefer is known for his use of thick, impasto techniques, incorporating materials like straw to add depth and materiality to his canvases. The work’s surface is richly tactile, suggesting the aftermath of a harvest or a battlefield, themes often explored by Kiefer in the context of German history and the collective memory.
The muted palette interspersed with patches of straw may invoke feelings of desolation or contemplation. Kiefer’s works frequently engage with Germany’s past, particularly World War II, and Nuremberg may be an allusion to the Nuremberg Trials or other historical events associated with the location. The painting is part of Kiefer’s body of work that deals with the processing of history and its representation in art.
