Explore the History of this artwork.
When the Nazis reached power, they banned modern art, so Grosz was one of the artists outlawed as degenerate. The current painting was shown at the exhibition of Degenerate Art in 1937. Shortly thereafter, it was among the works sold by the Nazi regime in the Fischer Gallery in Lucerne, as part of fund-raising for the rearmament program. Then it was bought by the German dealer Kurt Valentin, who emigrated to New York, where he opened the Buchholz Gallery. Thus, Metropolis ended in the United States, which had become the new homeland of Grosz in 1933. He bought this iconic work as soon he was able to improve his financial situation. The painting belonged also to Richard L. Feigen for some time, after which it ended in the Thyssen-Bornemisza collection.
degenerate Lucerne United States Degenerate Art New York