Bad Housing 1938

John August Groth etched “Bad Housing” in the mid-20th century, probably using acid to bite into a metal plate. Imagine Groth bent over the plate, armed with his tools, carefully cutting, and scratching into the surface, a dark world emerging line by line. The building looms like a distorted cabinet of curiosities. Each window frames a vignette, glimpses of lives stacked one upon another, a symphony of human dramas. Notice the chaotic scene on the ground floor. Is that desperation or just everyday life? The skeletal structure in the background hints at industry, the source of livelihood, or maybe of the bad housing itself. You can feel the artist’s concern, the weight of the scene pressing down, but I wonder, did Groth feel some kinship with these characters? There’s a tenderness in the act of depicting, a recognition of shared humanity. The etching reminds me of Kollwitz, Goya, or even Daumier, artists who dared to confront the harsh realities of life.