The Face of the Ruling Class

drawings by Grosz

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June 26, 2026

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"The Face of the Ruling Class" is a 1921 drawing collection by German artist George Grosz. Grosz used his art for sharp social criticism, depicting the excesses and corruption of post-World War I Germany. His drawings savagely attacked militarism, war profiteers, the wealthy elite, and social decadence. The collection features caricatures of fat Junkers, greedy capitalists, and smug bourgeoisie, contrasting them with the poor and unemployed. Grosz was associated with the Dada movement and later with Neue Sachlichkeit (New Objectivity), using realism as a tool for satire. His work was so critical that the Nazis labeled him "Cultural Bolshevist Number One".12

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George Grosz
In drawing collections such as The Face of the Ruling Class (1921) and Ecce Homo (1922), Grosz depicts fat Junkers, greedy capitalists, smug bourgeoisie, drinkers, and lechers—as well as hollow-faced factory labourers, the poor, and the unemployed.
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In drawing collections such as The Face of the Ruling Class (1921) and Ecce Homo (1922), Grosz depicts fat Junkers, greedy capitalists, smug bourgeoisie, drinkers, and lechers—as well as hollow-faced factory labourers, the poor, and the unemployed.
Read More