Grosz, GeorgeGerman, 1893–1959Little Man
Can I see it?
Not on view at present
Where is “Little Man” now? Collection: Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago. Not on view at present. Checked September 29, 2026.
Chicago, United States
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the work
This evocative drawing exemplifies George Grosz’s interest in creating symbolic self-portraits. Here we see Grosz himself seated at a table, with a cityscape behind him and a “little man” before him. During World War I, he often inserted such figures into paintings, drawings, and prints as a means of self-parody and social commentary. In fact, one scholar has suggested that here the “little man” represents the artist in mannequin form and that therefore the work is a double self-portrait.
Art Institute of ChicagoCC BY 4.0
Details
- Accession number
- 2002.678
In the catalog
Sources
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Image: Art Institute of Chicago — © the artist or rights holder
In the life of Grosz, George
The whole life1915–1917 · Residence
Steglitz
1916
A new name: Georg Groß becomes George Grosz
To 'de-Germanise' and internationalise his name, Grosz changes its spelling: Georg becomes the English 'George' and the German 'ß' in his surname is replaced by 'sz'. It is a protest against German nationalism and a romantic enthusiasm for America, drawn from the books of James Fenimore Cooper, Bret Harte and Karl May; his friend and collaborator Helmut Herzfeld likewise becomes John Heartfield at the same time.
1918
A founder of Berlin Dada
Grosz settles in Berlin and becomes one of the founders of Berlin Dada, using his satirical drawings to attack the bourgeois supporters of the Weimar Republic.
1918–1919
Joining the Spartacist League, later the KPD
Following the November Revolution Grosz joins the Spartacist League, which is renamed the Communist Party of Germany in December 1918.
1918–1921 · Residence
Wilmersdorf
January 1919
Arrested during the Spartakus uprising
During the Spartakus uprising Grosz is arrested but escapes using fake identification documents.
![The End of the Road (Out of Fear of Starvation) [Das Ende des Weges (Aus Nahrungssorgen)], George Grosz, 1913](https://www.moma.org/media/W1siZiIsIjEyMTkwNyJdLFsicCIsImNvbnZlcnQiLCItcmVzaXplIDEwMjR4MTAyNFx1MDAzZSJdXQ.jpg?sha=864379f3ce59af36)
