What influence did the Nazi regime label as "degenerate art"?

The Nazi regime labeled "degenerate art" as art that explored new forms and challenged traditional values. This categorization was part of their broader campaign to control cultural expressions and promote their ideology. The Nazis believed that modern art movements, such as Expressionism, Surrealism, and Cubism, undermined societal morals and traditions. They viewed these new forms of artistic expression as chaotic and subversive because they often represented ideas that contradicted the regime's emphasis on order, harmony, and Aryan ideals.

In their infamous 1937 exhibition titled "Entartete Kunst," the Nazis displayed works classified as degenerate to ridicule and condemn them. The artworks featured were typically vibrant, abstract, and avant-garde, as opposed to the realistic and romanticized styles that the regime favored, which aligned with traditional values and promoted nationalist themes. The labeling of such art as "degenerate" was an attempt to suppress creative freedom and eliminate any challenge to the authoritarian narrative of the Nazi state.