Published for a major exhibition to be held in Rome this monograph devoted to George Grosz is a substantially rich outline of the artist's career as it developed within the Italian cultural and critical perspective. The over 500 illustrations including drawings and paintings, document this Berlin-born artist's production both in Germany and during his time in America. The catalogue includes drawings by the fifteen-year-old Grosz from the city of his birth in Pomerania, works dating from the Weimar Republic period and drawings from the USA which illustrated Nazi Germany and the war in Europe. Moreover, sketches are included of stage designs he created between 1919 and 1954 for theatre pieces by Bernard Shaw, Iwan Goll, Georg Kaiser, Paul Zech, Jaroslav Kasek and numerous collages from 1959 in Pop Art style. The volume is completed with hitherto unpublished photos from the painter's private life that add to our understanding of the environment in which his artistic personality developed; an essay by Enrico Crispolti, Grosz and Italy: debts, attention, influences, circulation (outlines for a study); and one by Philippe Dagen, "Not too bitter, Herr Grosz!" dealing with his American years. Born in 1893, Grosz was active in his own city until the beginning of the thirties. During this period his artistic creativity was strongly influenced by cubism and futurism, though blended with classic and popular sources. The result can be seen in urban landscapes that perfectly illustrate the tragic situation of post-war Germany. The drawings of this phase, mostly in ink and watercolour, have given a decisive contribution to the widespread image of Germany in the twenties. With the arrival of Nazism Grosz moved to America where he produced works still characterised by violent and surrealist traits but softer when compared with his German period.
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