George Grosz

George Grosz (1893-1959, Germany) was a painter and caricaturist known especially for his political paintings depicting German society during the Weimar years (1918-1933). With the rise of the Nazi regime, Grosz immigrated to the United States where he stopped producing political caricatures and concentrated entirely on painting. Two months before his death Grosz returned to Berlin. With a gentle yet sharp line, Grosz ridiculed a host of figures that characterized German society in the era after World War I; their everyday routines, their main actions and especially the absurd aspects of their lives and the violence and corruption of government. Grosz was a member of the Berlin Dada artists and a communist political activist. His works are shown in important collections worldwide and inspired many artists working in various fields.