George Grosz, born Georg Ehrenfried Groß in 1893 Berlin, redefined modern art through his unflinching documentation of Weimar-era social decay. A veteran of the Dada movement and New Objectivity, he utilized his skills as an illustrator, painter, and graphic artist to challenge political authority, eventually abandoning his European roots to pursue a new creative identity in the United States.
Formative Years and Education
The son of a pub owner, Grosz spent his youth in Stolp before returning to the Wedding district of Berlin following his father's death. His formal artistic training began at the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts between 1909 and 1911, followed by study at the Berlin College of Arts and Crafts. By 1916, he adopted the anglicized name George Grosz as a gesture of protest against German nationalism.
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After a brief military discharge, Grosz aligned himself with the Spartacist League and the Communist Party of Germany. His confrontational approach often led to legal scrutiny; in 1920, he was fined for publishing the satirical portfolio Gott mit uns. He later faced charges of blasphemy in 1928 for works in his Hintergrund collection, which featured provocative imagery of wartime institutions, leading to a trial that concluded with his acquittal in 1929.
American Exile and Later Career
In January 1933, Grosz relocated his family to the United States, obtaining citizenship by 1938. Settling in New York and later Huntington, he moved away from his earlier German style, focusing on new techniques while teaching at the Art Students League of New York for over two decades. His Guggenheim Fellowships in 1937 and 1938 supported this transition. In 1959, he returned to West Berlin, where he died shortly after his arrival.
Fast facts
- Born: 1893, Berlin
- Died: 1959, West Berlin
- Primary Movements: Dada, Expressionism, New Objectivity
- Education: Dresden Academy of Fine Arts
- United States Citizenship: 1938
- Notable Work: I Am Glad I Came Back
- Religious Outlook: Atheism
- Burial Site: Friedhof Heerstraße
Questions readers ask
Why did George Grosz change his name?
He adopted the anglicized name in 1916 as a protest against German nationalism and out of a long-standing interest in American literature.
Did Grosz remain a member of the Communist Party?
No, although he joined the Communist Party of Germany in 1918, he resigned his membership in 1923 following a trip to the Soviet Union.
Achievements
- Notable work: I Am Glad I Came Back
- Movement: Expressionism and Dada
