Who was Anita Berber?

Anita Berber was a German dancer, during the Weimar period, who was most famously the subject of a painting by Otto Dix. Berber made her debut as a cabaret dancer aged 16 and by 20 she was working in film and dancing nude. She became very popular very quickly, largely thanks to her controversial androgyny as well as fearless self-expression.

'The Dancer Anita Berber' by Otto Dix

Despite being a woman of the black-and-white photo and film era, Berber favoured heavy makeup which would come across very dark in photographs. She’d apply lipstick to emphasis the cupid’s bow of her lips and would apply heavy charcoal eye makeup. She had bright red hair cut into a short bob and wore very little clothing.

Berber’s serious drug addiction were made very public, her favourite was to eat white rose petals soaked in chloroform and ether. On top of her drug problem, she was also an alcoholic. She died aged 29, allegedly found surrounded by empty syringes.

Anita Berber

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BruceS — nitratediva: Weimar cabaret goddess Anita Berber.... 2014.BruceS — nitratediva: Weimar cabaret goddess Anita Berber.... [ONLINE] Available at: http://brucesterling.tumblr.com/post/60888693735/nitratediva-weimar-cabaret-goddess-anita-berber. [Accessed 25 October 2014].

Anita Berber | Cabaret Berlin. 2014. Anita Berber | Cabaret Berlin. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.cabaret-berlin.com/?p=365. [Accessed 25 October 2014].