Exposition universelle à Paris - Pavillon allemand 1937

Reading the work

The photo shows the German Pavilion at the 1937 Exposition Universelle in Paris, shortly before the start of World War II. The pavilion was designed and built by Albert Speer, Hitler's favorite architect. A nocturnal water festival unfolds as pure spectacle of light and dark: sheaves of fireworks and luminous fountains erupt from the night like palm fronds, while an antique column, a stranded ship and a roaring sea-serpent tip the scene into fable. A master of intaglio, Cottet models light through the sheer density of his lines – the white of the paper itself becomes flame. The jubilant crowds along the water recall the illuminated fountains of the 1937 Paris International Exposition, which directly inspired the artist.