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The Gay Cafe

George Grosz

Artwork Details

The Gay Cafe
20th century
George Grosz
watercolor and ink on paper
24 ¼ in x 19 ¼ in (61.6 cm x 48.89 cm);32 1/16 in x 26 1/16 in (81.44 cm x 66.2 cm);24 ¼ in x 19 ¼ in (61.6 cm x 48.89 cm)
Gift of the Lannan Foundation in Honor of the Pelham Family
1997/1.90

Description

Subject Matter:

George Grosz was a German artist, well know for his caricatures; they were first published in Ulk (a supplement to the German newspaper Berliner Tageblatt) in1910, while he was a student at the Dresden Art Academy.

Grosz served in the military for a short period and was affected by the climate of WWI; there is an obvious reference to themes related to war as well as broader social and political issues in much of his art. Grosz was an active member of the German Communist Party and the Novembergruppe.

Physical Description:

There are two separate drawings. The first is a colorful drawing of a gathering of people wearing formal attire. They are depicted as caricatures, with large heads. The other image is a sketch of three people, side by side. On the left, a woman is shown from the back; she wears a coat, hat, high heeled shoes, and carries an umbrella under her right arm. There is a man in the center, shown from the side. He is mid-step, and wears a coat, hat, and boots; he has a mustache. The sketch on the right appears to show the same woman that is depicted on the left, but from a side angle.

Usage Rights:

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