Friedrichstrasse

George Grosz

1893–1959

Friedrichstrasse, 1918

Where object was made: Germany

Material/technique: photolithograph

Dimensions:
Image Dimensions Height/Width (Height x Width): 475 x 315 mm
Image Dimensions Height/Width (Height x Width): 18 11/16 x 12 3/8 in
Sheet/Paper Dimensions (Height x Width): 665 x 533 mm
Sheet/Paper Dimensions (Height x Width): 26 3/16 x 21 0.9843 in
Mat Dimensions (Height x Width): 32 x 24 in

Credit line: Museum purchase: Letha Churchill Walker Fund

Accession number: 2007.0113

Not on display

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Exhibition Label: "Conversation XVIII: World War I," Jan-2014, Stephen Goddard Grosz volunteered for military duty on November 11, 1914, but his experiences as a soldier quickly turned him against the war and ultimately contributed to his becoming a scathing satirist of militarism. This print expresses the tumultuous disarray in Berlin near the end of the war. Exhibition Label: "Machine in a Void: World War I & the Graphic Arts," Mar-2010, Steve Goddard This is one of Grosz’ most commanding images of the metropolis, a theme that was to occupy him for much of his career, especially during his Berlin years immediately after World War I. This photolithograph (a process often used by Grosz) shows Friedrichsrasse, a major thoroughfare in Berlin that was known for its cabarets, brothels, and its surging masses of humanity from all walks of life. This image shows the melting pot of violently opposed political and cultural impulses that competed within the Weimar Republic between the end of the First World War and the Nazi period. It also provides a meaningful prelude to Berthold Brecht’s dramatic pieces, as well as to early cinematic works such as Fritz Lang's 1927 film, Metropolis.