New York Harbor

George Grosz American, born Germany

1936

Not on view

Grosz achieved early recognition for his biting portrayals of Weimar-era Berlin, satirizing the culture’s hypocrisy, military platitudes, and wealthy businessmen, as in Berlin Street (1931), on view in this gallery. A pioneer of the Dada movement, he left Berlin in 1932 to settle in New York. While his characteristic cynicism continued to inform certain of his works in the United States, he also branched out in new directions. He painted this vivid watercolor of the skyline and harbor after only recently settling in Manhattan. Although boats and office buildings indicate commercial activity, Grosz’s emphasis is not the metropolis’s bustling crowds, but rather the spectacle and grandeur of the city itself.

Artwork Details

Title: New York Harbor
Artist: George Grosz (American (born Germany), Berlin 1893–1959 Berlin)
Date: 1936
Medium: Watercolor and ink on paper
Dimensions: 18 3/8 × 13 1/2 in. (46.7 × 34.3 cm)
Classification: Drawings
Credit Line: George A. Hearn Fund, 1939
Object Number: 39.48.1
Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art

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Street Scene (Strassenszene), George Grosz American, born Germany, Photolithograph — Street Scene (Strassenszene)
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In the Street (Auf der Strasse), George Grosz American, born Germany, Lithograph — In the Street (Auf der Strasse)
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Necklace, Meta Overbeck American, Gold, emeralds, Montana sapphires, topazes, enamel, American — Necklace
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