Magazine "Der Ruf" (special war edition "Krieg", November 1912)

On November 11, 1918 I World War ended. Many famous artists were involved in this conflict. Works by Wyndham Lewis, Otto Dix, Paul Nash and David Bomberg helped define the Great War, representing the challenging landscapes and the voices of the soldiers who would never return. Today we present the cover of the magazine »Der Ruf«. Seven issues of this early Expressionist periodical were published between February 1912 and November 1913. The first issue contained the programmatic statement: »There will now be a great interest in all beginnings, instead of in peripeteias and endpoints, as before«. In the special war edition "Krieg" of November 1912 a potential war is not perceived as a devastating catastrophe, but rather as a cathartic opportunity for a new beginning. The issue’s cover, designed by the graphic artist Franz Karl Dellavilla (1884-1967), features a 1910 self-portrait by Egon Schiele, focusing on his face and distorting it with bright red. The red color refers to the introductory essay entitled "Apologia of War" written by Robert Müller (1884-1927), which begins: »War comes into the world through blood«. The articles in the magazine clearly illustrate the violence-glorifying attitude of some of the early Expressionists. War was seen as a welcome awakening from people’s boring existence and was believed to be able to break up the bourgeoisie’s lethargy.