Market Scene

Expand

IIIFView PDF

Market Scene

Artist George Grosz (German, 1893-1959)

Dateabout 1928-1930

Dimensions(Sheet) H: 19 in. (48.3 cm); W: 26 in. (66 cm)

MediumWatercolor on paper.

ClassificationDrawings

Credit LineMuseum Purchase, by exchange

Object number

2005.35

Not on View

Descriptionwatercolor on paper, very fresh colors throughout

Label TextBathed in dappled sunlight and rendered in a soft, fluid manner, George Grosz’s street scene lacks the artist’s earlier angular, dynamic style and biting social commentary on German society’s political corruption and social injustices. Nevertheless, this tranquil composition of a produce stand displaying brightly colored fruits and vegetables and the nearby bustle of female shoppers depends on a set of formal and thematic oppositions found throughout his work. Grosz juxtaposes two well-dressed women walking in opposite directions, whose ample figures, complementary outfits, and recent purchases signify a comfortable, middle-class existence. Grosz indicates the advancing figure’s youth and (probable) unmarried status by her attire—blue jumper, embroidered white blouse, Mary Jane shoes, and cloche straw hat accessorized with a pink ribbon. Conversely, the receding woman—dressed in a brown fur-collared coat, black cloche, and low-heeled pumps—implies a more matronly customer. The slender woman next to her wears an apron that suggests a working-class position. Created towards the latter part of the 1920s when Germany was experiencing a prolonged, acute food shortage, Grosz’s depiction of two well-fed women carrying baskets full of food offers a subtle rebuke of middle-class complacency.Exhibition HistoryToledo Museum of Art, Satire Show, March 17-June 25, 2006 Between the Wars; Sept. 5 2008 through Dec.31 2008. Toledo Museum of Art, Looks Good on Paper: Masterworks and Favorites, Oct. 10, 2014-Jan. 11, 2015.