The Ills of Urbanization Page 2

The style of the piece also gives a very significant insight into the workings of what Grosz was trying to accomplish. More specifically, the work seems to be in limbo between styles. While the foreground characters could easily draw comparison to the German Expressionist movement, the background of the buildings has definite shades of cubism. The juxtaposition of styles shows the in-between state that the main subject has been put in. Just as it is hard for the viewer to clearly grip they style of the piece, the subject is having the similar problem of deciphering what his reality has become.

So this then begs the question, what exactly has his reality become? This question is clearly answered from the visual content of the work. First off, the physical setting of the piece is obviously extremely important. The crooked buildings give the impression that the setting is familiar, yet troublesome to the main subject. We see the familiar evidence of windows and rooftops, but the orientation is not similar to what we are used to and thus provides us with the discomfort that the subject is feeling. The crescent moon also plays an important role in the setting as it stands out in the starless sky. The fact that there are no stars in the sky mirrors the isolation of our subject. Furthermore, while we see no dark sky, the moon signifies nighttime, which in turn provides a darker mood for the rest of the work.

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