History of Paintings by George Gross

The gymnast by George Grosz was painted in 1922. The painting uses oil and is on canvas and depicts a faceless person who is lifting a dumbbell. The work of art was a gift from Robert L. B. Tobin and is currently on display at the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, Texas. George Grosz was born in Germany. His influence included escaping Nazi persecution before World War II. Grosz used art to depict corruption in the German government. The Gymnast was painted before his immigration to the United States in 1933.

Grosz used his painting to desexualize, dehumanize and to criticize.

Grosz’s painting called The Gymnast depicts a faceless person lifting a dumbbell, which is the predominant feature of the painting. Other elements that are present include a barbell, dumbbell, pin and 2 poles in the background. The faceless figure is ambiguous and could be a boy or a girl, a man or a woman. The face is blank with no details, while other parts of the body are overexaggerated like the muscular calves and the thick neck.

The figure appears to have no wrists with small fingers attached to the arm. The shorts are long and overexaggerated. The covered feet are cut off with a sharp line.

The piece seems very robotic with many physical defects. The lines are very hard which would define the structures of the wall, the barbells and the structures in the room. No lines are implied. The texture is smooth and fine with the shape being angular and elongated and demonstrated by the elongated human and the many angular shapes in the window and other architectural features.

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The color is earthy and subtle except for the contrasting red stripes of the dark tunic. The colors seem almost depressing and unfriendly. The gymnast is the primary figure and off-centered in the foreground of the painting. The lighting is gloomy and muted.

The gymnast shows repetition and pattern on the door in the background. The red stripe on the tunic draws the eye which in turn leads to the elevated dumbbell and then to the barbell on the ground. The human form is asymmetrical and is not of scale. The human form has very thin arms and small fingers but changes to a very thick neck and overdeveloped calves with long shorts and empty facial features. The art has no sense of energy or movement in the body. The elements in this work of artwork together in unity. The piece conveys gloom and sadness. The form is lifeless, yet there is a sense of calmness.

The tone of the painting is dramatic yet muted with both large and small scale. The contrast is strong and saturated yet there is geometric design, asymmetry, and distortion.

George Grosz clearly shows his German influence and his diversion of the military and the Nazi era. The faceless form along with the muted colors and the robotic features show his moral dilemma. The painting desensationalizes the sport and makes it seem very robotic. George Grosz’s print has the symbolic intent of making athletes mechanical and faceless. The painting seems to make fun of the sport and the achievement that goes along with sports.