Otto Dix, Self-portrait with Muse (looks like Helena Bonham Carter doesn't it?), 1924

Openings at the Neue Galerie are always a treat. Not only do you get to see magnificent works of art, but you see them in a gorgeous and sophisticated environment while nibbling on tasty Austrian treats like baby Weinerschnitzel. What’s not to like?

Otto Dix, Portrait of the Lawyer Dr. Fritz Glazer, 1921, image courtesy of Neue Galerie

The Otto Dix show (on view through August 30th) that opens today includes some wonderful works on loan from European collections that have never been seen before. And, this is the first solo exhibition of Dix’s work ever put on in the United States. His work is the most graphic visual representation of the Weimar Republic. Most of the work on view is from the 1920s and 1930s.

Sturmtruppe, 1924

From the imagery of horrors of his time spent serving in World War I to the grit of

Puffmutter, 1923

Puffmutter, a work on paper portraying a brothel matron who has seen better days,

Portrait of the Dancer Anita Berber, 1925, image courtesy of Neue Galerie

to the sensuousness of the painting of Anita Berber, a dancer in brilliant red, Dix manages to capture the personality of his subjects in his portraits through color, form, or pose–and they are not always flattering. A great exhibition worth your while.