Barthel Gilles was a German painter tied to New Objectivity, mixing sharp realism with old Rhenish traditions. He often used egg tempera on panel, working with slow glazing like the 15th‑century masters.
Born in 1891 near Kiel, he studied in Cologne and Düsseldorf, then served in World War I where he was wounded. After the war he settled in Cologne and joined local artist groups.
His early work leaned expressionist, but by the 1920s he shifted toward New Objectivity, painting portraits, landscapes and social scenes with calm precision.
The 1937 Mädchen mit Schleier shows his technical skill, mixing medieval detail with a quiet unease typical of the movement.
Gilles also painted political subjects. His Ruhrkampf revealed the violent worker uprisings and repression before Hitler’s rise.
As a Communist Party member, he was banned from exhibiting during the Nazi era, yet continued mastering egg tempera in private.
He traveled widely through Europe, and today his works appear in museums like the Suermondt‑Ludwig‑Museum in Aachen, though he remains lesser known than he deserves.
