| Ref No | WIA GC/1914/321 |
| Title | Graef, Botho to Warburg, Aby 26/10/1914 |
| Writer | Graef, Botho |
| Place1 | Jena |
| Recipient | Warburg, Aby |
| Date | 26/10/1914 |
| Format | manuscript |
| Contents | [Ernst] Häckel's request [to remove the Hodler painting] has been turned down; the Vice Chancellor of Jena university has asked Graef for his view and Graef has advised him to cover the [F. Hodler] painting with a curtain [on the occasion of the Centennial of the Battle of Jena and Auerstedt, in 1906, Ferdinand Hodler created a monumental mural on the Auditorium wall of the Friedrich Schiller University; the picture represents the students of Jena on the point of departure to the battle fields]; the press prints vicious unsigned articles daily; however, the university has taken down the painting; is angry, it is a shameful act for Jena; the university has received the painting as a gift, it should not be allowed to sell it; Graef represents the board of the Gesellschaft der Kunstfreunde which purchased the painting at a special low price because it was Hodler's first official commission in Germany; he will not write anything about the affair during the war, but will do so after the war; Hodler visited Graef; Hodler's foolish action [he signed, together with friends, the so-called 'Genfer Protest' against the German bombardment of the cathedral of Reims and became overnight persona non grata to patriotic Germans] was much more difficult to tolerate and understand for Graef than for all those who find the painting horrible and who do not know the artist and, like [F.] Kallmorgen, believe that their day has come; regrets that he is too old to join the army |
Show related Persons records.
Persons
| Code | PersonName | Dates |
| DS/UK/781 | Graef; [Franz] Botho (1857-09/04/1917); Prof. Dr. | 1857-09/04/1917 |
| DS/UK/2245 | Warburg; Aby Moritz (13/06/1866-26/10/1929); Professor, Dr. | 13/06/1866-26/10/1929 |