Title of Artwork: “Fit for Active Service! (The Faith Healers)”

Artwork by George Grosz

Year Created 1916-1917

Summary of Fit for Active Service! (The Faith Healers)

An ear trumpet is used by the doctor to examine the skeleton, and he says “KV” to the patient (short for kriegsverwendungsfahig, or “fit for combat”). The surrounding police appear either bored or occupied with other problems, making it difficult to focus on the diagnosis.

All About Fit for Active Service! (The Faith Healers)

During the latter months of World War II, German forces had suffered tremendous losses, and the scenario depicts the frantic recall of soldiers who had been discharged. For Grosz, the subject had a personal resonance because he returned to the front lines in 1917, only to be dismissed for mental illness four months later.

It was the German Gothic tradition that inspired Grosz’s love of the grotesque, and he frequently turned to it for inspiration. With “The Faith Healers,” Grosz showcases his extremely political style that bridges the ideas of both Neue Sachlichkeit and the Berlin Dada group in an example of his most well-known drawings and works on paperwork.

Information Citations

En.wikipedia.org, https://en.wikipedia.org/.