Charlotte Salomon: Quotes about life

Charlotte Salomon was German painter. Explore interesting quotes on life.
Charlotte Salomon: 50   quotes 2   likes

“Keep this safe, it is my whole life.”

Quote of Charlotte Salomon, 1943; as cited on Wikipedia, English
as the Nazis intensified their search for Jews living in the South of France in 1943, she handed the 769 paintings on paper over to a trusted friend with these words

“My life began when my grandmother decided to take hers, when I found out that my mother's whole family did the same thing [told bij het grandfather c. 1941], when I found out that I am the only one surviving, and when I felt the same inclination deep inside of me, craving for despair and death.”

Quote in Charlotte's letter, to her father, c. 1941-43; as cited in 'Life in Pictures Charlotte Salomon and her art beyond life tragedies' https://arthive.com/publications/2850~Life_in_Pictures_Charlotte_Salomon_and_her_art_beyond_life_tragedies, on Art-smart
Charlotte wrote her father from South-France, about the events with her grandparents where she stayed. Then she took up her brush with the intention to realize an ambitious plan of creating an autobiographical novel in pictures.

“And from that came:
Life or Theatre?”

Charlotte's last written page in brush, related to JHM no. 4925T https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Charlotte_Salomon_-_JHM_-_4925T.jpg: 'Life? or Theater..', p. 823
Charlotte Salomon - Life? or Theater?

“That which van Gogh attained later in life.... a brushstroke of unprecedented lightness, which unfortunately seems to have a distinctly pathological side, I have attained already..”

Quote, 1942-43; as cited by Judith C. E. Belinfante; as cited in note on Wikicommons: Charlotte Salomon https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Charlotte_Salomon_-_JHM_4351.jpg JHM 4351 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Charlotte_Salomon#/media/File:Charlotte_Salomon_-_JHM_4351.jpg
Judith Belinfante noted that Salomon scribbled this comment in pencil (at JHM 4918?)

“.. And with dream awakened eyes she saw all the beauty around her, saw the sea, felt the sun, and knew she had to vanish for a while from the human surface and make every sacrifice in order to create her world anew out of the depths.
And from that came
Life or Theater???”

original German language, Zitat von Charlotte Salomon: ..und sie sah – mit wachgeträumten Augen all die Schönheit um sich her – sah das Meer spürte die Sonne und wusste: sie musste für eine Zeit von der menschlichen Oberfläche verschwinden und dafür alle Opfer bringen – um sich aus der Tiefe ihre Welt neu zu schaffen
Und dabei entstand<brdas Leben oder das Theater???
Quote, probably 1943, in Charlotte Salomon: Life? or Theatre?, (ed.) Judith C. E. Belinfante et al, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1998, ISBN 0-900946-66-0, p. 38; as cited om Wikipedia
these are the concluding words of the last overlay: JHM 4924-02 https://charlotte.jck.nl/detail/M004924/part/character/theme/keyword/M004924, of the epilogue - quoting ideas of her former love in Germany Alfred Wolfsohn, she called him 'Amadeus Daberlohn' in her paintings

“Life? or Theater?' - A Play with Music - C. S.”

Charlotte's 1st introduction page, related to image JHM no. 4155-1 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Charlotte_Salomon_-_JHM_4155.jpg: 'Life? or Theater..', p. 41
written in brush - her title is indicating the close relation for her between drama, music, text and painting
Charlotte Salomon - Life? or Theater?

“Life or Theatre?”

written text with brush, in her last painting JHM no. 4925 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Charlotte_Salomon_-_JHM_4925.jpg: (558) 'Life? or Theater..', p. 824
Charlotte Salomon - Life? or Theater?