MASTERPIECES FROM THE BEN URI COLLECTION
GEORGE GROSZ (1893-1959)
INTERROGATION
1938
Watercolour and ink on paper
Signed (lower right): Grosz
GEORGE GROSZ
George Grosz’s Interrogation presents a powerful portrayal of violent abuse, vividly capturing the brutality of authoritarian regimes Rendered energetically in pen, ink, and watercolor, the composition depicts a tormented victim, stripped of dignity, his bloodied body stretched and contorted in agony Surrounding him
stand grotesquely exaggerated Nazi interrogators, their faces distorted by cruelty and disdain: one figure grasps the victim by his hair, another aggressively prepares further torture, while a third observes with cold bureaucratic indifference. The chaotic watercolor washes amplify the violence, with bold reds accentuating physical suffering, while Grosz’s deliberate use of distorted forms and harsh lines underscores moral corruption and dehumanization Deeply influenced by graphic masters William Hogarth and Honoré Daumier, Grosz harnesses a biting satirical sensibility to expose social and political hypocrisy His personal wartime experiences profoundly shaped his vision, sharpening his political conscience and fueling his relentless denunciation of militarism and oppression Exemplifying the Neue Sachlichkeit (New Objectivity) movement’s stark realism, Interrogation confronts viewers with uncomfortable truths After fleeing Nazi Germany in 1933, Grosz’s work became emblematic of artistic resistance, marking him as a critical voice exposing humanity's darkest impulses through provocative and confrontational imagery.
George Grosz (né Georg Ehrenfried Groß) was born in Berlin, Germany on 26 July 1893 He trained at the Dresden Academy and later at the school of the Museum of Decorative Arts in Berlin and was greatly influenced by graphic artists including William Hogarth orge Grosz (né George Ehrenfried Groß) nas born in
Berlin, Germany on 26 July 1893 He trained at the Dresden Academy and later at the school of the Museum of Decorative Arts in Berlin and was greatly influenced by graphic artists including William Hogarth and Honoré Daumier and by popular art forms including graffiti. From 1916 he began to paint in oils and his lithographs featured regularly in books and magazines. He served twice during the First World War (the first time as a volunteer) and was twice discharged for medical reasons This experience sharpened his political conscience resulting in a series of bitingly satirical works that were particularly critical of militarism, corruption and hypocrisy A prominent member of the Dada movement, he also became the leading exponent of the Neue Sachlichkeit (New Objectivity) movement and established an international reputation that led to an invitation to teach in New York
He fled Germany in 1933, only days before Hitler’s accession to power in order to escape prosecution. In 1937 Grosz’s work was included, in his absence, in the infamous ‘Degenerate Art’ exhibition that opened in Munich before touring throughout Germany and Austria and the following year, he was also represented in the Exhibition of Twentieth Century German Art mounted at the New Burlington Galleries in London, as a riposte to the Nazi show He became a naturalised American citizen in 1938 and published his autobiography, 'A Little Yes and a Big No' in New York in 1946, but, disillusioned with the ‘American Dream’, he returned to postwar Berlin in 1959 and died shortly afterwards on 6 July 1959. His work is represented in the UK in the Ben Uri Collection and Tate, as well as many international museum collections.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
COLLECTION: https://benuri.org/collections/
BURU: https://www.buru.org.uk/