George Gross Artist and graphic artist Date of Birth: 26.07.1893 Country: Germany

1. Early Life and Education
2. Artistic Beginnings and Dadaism
3. New Objectivity
4. Exile and Return
5. Recognition and Late Career

Early Life and Education

George Grosz, born Georg Ehrenfried in Berlin on July 26, 1893, began drawing caricatures at the age of 15. He entered the Royal Academy of Arts in Dresden in 1909 before studying at the Kunstgewerbeschule Berlin and in Paris.

Artistic Beginnings and Dadaism

Grosz's professional painting career began in Berlin, where he lived until 1932. He became a prominent figure in the German avant-garde, particularly during his involvement with the Berlin Dadaists from 1917-1920. Works from this period, such as his "Portrait of D. Heartfield," exhibit distortions and collage techniques.

New Objectivity

In the late 1920s, Grosz aligned himself with New Objectivity or Verism. Paintings like "Portrait of Dr. Neisse" (1927) exemplify the movement's use of exaggerated realism for expressionistic purposes. Grosz's pre-emigration works were often scathing indictments of political and social evils, devoid of humor.

Exile and Return

Under fascism, Grosz's works were removed from museums. After emigrating to the United States, his artistic style and subject matter shifted. While still technically proficient, his later works exhibited a growing interest in painterly and technical concerns. His accusatory tone was replaced by a more humanistic worldview.

Recognition and Late Career

Grosz became a member of the National Institute of Arts and Letters in 1954. He taught at the Art Students League in New York for two decades before his death in Berlin on July 6, 1959.