99 - George GROSZ (1893–1959)

George GROSZ (1893–1959) Liebes paere (Loving Couple) Watercolor on paper 57 x 44 cm Bears the stamp “George Grosz Nachla.. UC -337 -30” on the reverse Provenance: Artist’s studio (artist’s estate) Henze KETTERER Gallery (Bern, Riehen) Acquired from this gallery during the 2008 FIAC by the current owner Our watercolor is part of “the artist’s particularly intense and fruitful exploration of the nude theme, to which he devoted himself during the years he spent in a country far removed from his native Germany. Grosz had always been fascinated by America. For example, he had changed his name from Georg Gross to George Grosz as early as 1916, not only to express his aversion to the nationalism prevailing in Germany, but also to openly demonstrate his admiration for America, the country to which he emigrated with foresight in early 1933. He thus escaped witnessing firsthand the National Socialists’ seizure of power, the confiscation of his works, their condemnation as part of the campaign against “degenerate art,” their subsequent destruction, and, last but not least, the personal ostracism he suffered in his own country. He did not return to Europe or Germany until 1951. George Grosz can rightly be considered both a German and an American artist: in 1938, he obtained U.S. citizenship, for which he had applied as early as 1935. Grosz had been familiar with drawing and painting nudes since his student years: the depiction of the nude human body, usually based on a live model, was—and still is—part of the early exercises of any aspiring artist. Examples of this genre can be found throughout Grosz’s body of work. The more or less nude human figure, often clad only in a hat, stockings, or shoes, appears in many of his works, particularly in his early satirical and socio-critical pieces, which brought him fame. Big-city motifs—such as street scenes, music halls, ballet, carnivals, and other venues of entertainment and pleasure—were very popular in the early 20th century and inspired some of Grosz’s major works. But why did the artist choose to devote himself entirely—through several hundred paintings and works on paper—to the theme of the nude during his years in America? One reason was certainly that he had an inspiring and patient model: his own wife, Eva, whom he had met in 1918 and married in 1920. Whether alone or accompanied by her sister Lotte, she constantly gave free rein to his imagination, appearing in a wide variety of poses, both indoors and outdoors, often with props or alongside a self-portrait, and in a range of media: drawing, watercolor, mixed media, and oil. Grosz had always had a preference for voluptuous forms, which he did not hesitate to emphasize in his works and which perfectly matched his artistic vision. What is particularly striking about the nudes Grosz created in America is their richness of detail and color. While Grosz had already painted nudes in Germany, those he created after emigrating to America include hundreds of watercolors and mixed-media paintings in which particular attention is paid to individual characteristics, so much so that his wife Eva can easily be identified as the model. The outlines stand out clearly from one another and are often drawn in a dark color, suggesting that they were completed entirely before the interior details were added. In the watercolors as well, the subject was first outlined and then colored, thereby accentuating the three-dimensionality of the depiction. Grosz earned part of his living in America by teaching life drawing. As early as 1931, he was invited by the renowned Art Students League of New York to teach there. It was only after a good dozen months and numerous repeated requests that he finally accepted the invitation. From then on, and until his return to Germany in 1959, he taught regularly, both at this art academy and at his own school, the “Sterne-Grosz-Studio – For the Art in Painting.” This work was not always easy for Grosz, who developed a genuine aversion to teaching, which became increasingly burdensome and difficult for him to bear. Added to this was his precarious financial situation: his works were no longer selling in Germany and were selling