"I will root up from my path whatever obstructs my progress toward becoming the master." ("Ich will alles um mich her ausrotten, was mich einschränkt, das ich nicht Herr bin.") 1922

George Grosz's 1922 lithograph "I will root up from my path whatever obstructs my progress toward becoming the master." ("Ich will alles um mich her ausrotten, was mich einschränkt, das ich nicht Herr bin.") is a powerful and satirical commentary on the German social landscape after World War I. The work depicts a monstrously obese man, likely a capitalist figure, in an industrial setting, surrounded by people who are clearly being exploited. This work exemplifies Grosz’s signature style of Neue Sachlichkeit, which sought to portray the harsh realities of modern life through a blend of Expressionism, caricature, and social critique.