Image Analysis: Suicide by George GroszInformation
After World War I, the Imperial German Empire exited the stage of history; Germany entered a new era under the Weimar Republic, which brought significant changes to the lives of Germans. Instead of centralizing power in individuals, as in the Imperial German Empire, the Weimar Republic emphasized freedom of speech and civil liberties. For example, citizens could vote for their president. However, affected by the failure of World War I and by the lack of governmental intervention and power in social management, life in the Weimar Republic was far from ideal, as shown in the artwork produced during that era. Amid massive political and social changes, the art form evolved as the social environment deteriorated. A major artistic movement, called “New Objectivity”, rejected ideal, romantic, self-involving artwork. Instead, it sought to reflect the real world in order to convey social messages. George Grosz (1893-1959) was one of the famous artists of the “New Objectivity” and Expressionism movements. Throughout his lifetime, he created artworks that addressed anti-war and social corruption. In the painting "Suicide," Grosz depicted his view of society under the Weimar Republic through numerous details. Through showing elements including a suicidal incident, a failing shop, and a wounded veteran, George Grosz’s painting illustrated an indifferent, chaotic, and desperate Weimar Republic Society.
Looking at the painting as a whole, the unnatural dark red color creates a sense of tension and distortion, reflecting a dispirited yet violent society. At first glance, this painting looks unrealistic and unnatural, because George Grosz used red in objects that should not be red. The street glows in an exaggerated crimson, the dogs take on an unnatural scarlet tone, and even the lamp’s light bleeds red. It might be argued that red is a warm color representing vitality. However, the red color shown in the painting might be intentionally mixed with black pigments, so that it is both dark and oversaturated. The red color chosen by Grosz no longer reflects vitality but instead a feverish, oppressive tone. Overall, the painting gives people the impression that it is not a joyful painting but one with a serious, critical topic. In the following topic, these topics would be mentioned with separate elements in the painting.
Suicide by George Grosz
Grosz’s painting illustrates the high suicide rates in Weimar Republic society by showing a hanged man in the top left corner of the painting. On first glance, he looks like an ordinary person, his head down, looking disappointed and exhausted. However, the fact that the man is hanged dead is based on two pieces of evidence. First, the streetlamp beside him is tilted. It is properly assumed that the tilt is caused by the weight of the man. Second, the man’s posture appears unnatural when examined from the arms and hands down. His hands stiffly point in the direction of the center of his body, which cannot be explained by simple exhaustion. Through this image, George illustrates a common phenomenon that occurred during the Weimar Republic. It allowed people at that time to think about the reasons why suicides happened. One common explanation is social despair, a combination of life's pressures, which could include economic, psychological, and social factors. In Berlin, police records show a marked spike in suicides among unemployed men, war veterans, and members of the lower middle class who had lost their savings. Suicide during this period was widely discussed in newspapers and medical journals, which connected the phenomenon to hyperinflation, social fragmentation, and the psychological wounds left by World War I.
Suicide Rates in Germany, Weimar Republic founded in 9 November 1918.
Hyperinflations: Loss-valued Mark packed into bricks
Hyperinflation, compared with other perspectives, leaves the clearest traces and data for further analysis, which leads to the next important element in the painting: the shop. On the far right of the hanged man, a building with a black frame and dark red light glowing from within. Very ambiguous to see that a store sign is hung above the front door. A store should often be a lively and crowded place. However, only a black human shape can be seen on the second floor. This gives me a feeling of emptiness and depression. After World War I, Germany was held responsible for wartime damages under the Treaty of Versailles and was required to pay reparations totaling 132 billion gold marks—an amount far beyond the government’s financial capacity. To pay reparations and internal expenses, the government was forced to print vast amounts of paper money, which caused the value of the mark to fall dramatically. Between 1914 and 1922, the cost of living in Germany rose 12 times. Therefore, most of the Germans would spend their money on urgent needs. It is obvious that many shops would be either closed or have trouble attracting customers.
George Grosz’s painting also features a wounded veteran at the bottom, underscoring the Weimar Republic government’s powerlessness and societal indifference. In the painting, a slender man lies on the ground. There is a crutch in his left hand. His right hand is reaching for a gun. His facial expression shows that he is in pain. His face looks skeletal and twisted. Looking more closely, there is an orange spot on the left side of his head. In summary, he was injured and mildly disabled. Since he is reaching for a gun and given the painting's historical background, he might be a wounded veteran. After World War I, social misery was readily apparent on the streets of Germany. A lot of veterans who had fought in World War I are injured or disabled. Those veterans were not getting good treatment from the government in the aftermath. Rather, they continually faced the devastation of their own nation's economy. They were received little attention largely because the government was weak and politically divided. The new democratic system is not well-developed so that it is difficult to pass long-term social welfare policies. At the same time, the nation faced severe hyperinflation, leaving little funding for veteran support such as medical care, pensions, or social assistance. Other “New Objectivity” artists, including Otto Dix and August Sander, also depicted the misery of street scenes in the Weimar Republic. Back to the painting, the veteran does not get help from others, while only a dog passes by. Other characters in the painting pay no attention to the wounded veteran, creating a desperate and tragic social scene.
Wounded veterans begged for money (After WWI)
In conclusion, the painting "Suicide" not only includes numerous elements that represent Weimar Republic society but also conveys messages through its thoughtful structural composition and coloring. By showing social problems such as suicide, hyperinflation and wounded veterans, George Grosz depicted an indifferent, corrupted, and hopeless Weimar Republic society.
Citations
Barron, Stephanie, et al. New Objectivity: Modern German Art in the Weimar Republic: 1919-1933. Los Angeles, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2015.
“George Grosz.” MoMA.org, www.moma.org/s/ge/collection_ge/artist/artist_id-2374.html. Accessed 23 Sept. 2025.
Gerald D. Feldman, The Great Disorder: Politics, Economics, and Society in the German Inflation, 1914–1924 (Oxford University Press, 1997).
Grosz, George. Suicide, 1916.
The Weimar Republic, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/the-weimar-republic. Accessed 23 Sept. 2025.
Margaret MacMillan, Paris 1919: Six Months That Changed the World (Random House, 2002).
Tovey, Russell, and Robert Diament. Talk Art. Chronicle Books, 18 May 2021.