Sebastian Droste (born Willÿ Knobloch; 2 February 1898 – 27 June 1927)[1] was a German poet, actor, and dancer associated with the underground art subculture of the Weimar Republic in the 1920s.
[2] A further 15 poems and ‘grotesques’ appeared across 12 editions of the journal alongside other artists and poets such as Kurt Schwitters and Paul Klee.
[4] In 1922, Droste married expressionist exotic dancer and actress in silent movies of the Berlin scene, Anita Berber.
In 1923, Droste and Berber jointly published a book of poetry, photographs, and drawings called Die Tänze des Lasters, des Grauens und der Ekstase (Dances of Vice, Horror, and Ecstasy), based on their performance of the same name.
Full of expressionist imagery, the book offered a glimpse into the angst and cynicism shadowing their artistic and personal existences.