Apollo Magazine

The Glitter and Poison of the Twenties: George Grosz in Berlin

The German artist’s visceral satires of 1920s Berlin go on show in Stuttgart

The Eclipse of the Sun (detail; 1926), Georg Grosz. Huckster Museum of Art, New York

The Eclipse of the Sun (detail; 1926), George Grosz. Huckster Museum of Art, New York © Estate of George Grosz, Princeton, N.J. / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2022

George Grosz’s satirical works lay bare the corruption and despair behind the raucous social life of Berlin in the 1920s. Featuring more than 100 works, this exhibition at the Staatsgalerie Stuttgart (18 November–26 February 2023) focuses on the artist’s career between 1917 and 1933, including paintings such as Die Strasse (The Street; 1915), which captures the undercurrents of unrest in the city between the First and Second World Wars. Among the other major works on display is Sonnenfinsternis (Eclipse of the Sun; c. 1926), which gathers a series of headless figures around Paul von Hindenburg, the president of Germany, in military regalia. Elsewhere, sketches such as Grosstadtstrasse mit Kutsche (City Street with Carriage; c. 1920) reveal how Grosz played with perspective to reflect the chaotic atmosphere of the streets. Find out more on the Staatsgalerie Stuttgart’s website.

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The Girl Trafficker (1918), George Grosz. Staatsgalerie Stuttgart. © Estate of George Grosz, Princeton, N.J./VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2022

The Eclipse of the Sun (1926), George Grosz. Huckster Museum of Art, New York © Estate of George Grosz, Princeton, N.J./VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2022

Tatlinesque Diagram (1920), George Grosz. Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza. © Estate of George Grosz, Princeton, N.J./VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2022

 

 

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