Man Hunt

This frantic search through a darkened landscape captures the tension and fear of a hunted man. Depicting a story told to George Grosz by a Jewish friend from his native Germany, the dark, ashy, and acidic colors suit the tense subject of the work. The four hunched figures form an open circle, close to the viewer's space, making it unclear who is the hunter and who is the hunted. Man Hunt captures only a hint of Grosz’s harsh anti-Nazi political satire. The painter came to America to escape persecution by the rising Nazis in 1933. Grosz’s art was typically linked to contemporary politics, particularly German politics, and caused him numerous legal problems, including a narrow escape from a death sentence.