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Georg Grosz, Pillars of Society (1926)

The painter and graphic artist George Grosz (1893-1959) became known primarily for his sharp-witted satirical depictions of Weimar society. Stylistically, his work is associated with the New Objectivity [Neue Sachlichkeit] movement, but he was part of Berlin’s Dada scene as well. Pillars of Society (1926), which depicts members of the social elite during the Weimar era, is among his most famous paintings. Born Georg Groß, he anglicized his name in 1916 out of disgust for the rampant nationalism that had taken hold in Germany during World War I. He emigrated to the United States immediately after Hitler seized power in 1933, just a few days before the Gestapo raided his apartment and studio and destroyed all the works he left behind.

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Georg Grosz, <i>Pillars of Society</i> (1926)

© Bildarchiv Preußischer Kulturbesitz / Nationalgalerie, SMB / Jörg P. Anders / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York