Paul Gauguin once wrote, "All this must be; and after all, it's of no consequence. The earth still turns round; everyone defecates; only Zola bothers about it." Now the name of George Grosz might perhaps be substituted for that of Zola in the light of many of Grosz's paintings which are being shown in the current Dunster House exhibit of contemporary watercolors and lithographs.

It is absurd to criticize Grosz on the score of techniue, for he is a polished craftsman. In most instances his supposedly crude manipulation of line and what may appear to be a sloppy method of organization, in reality, are masterly examples of precise adaptation of style to subject matter. And it is equally absurd to criticize the Germanborn American on the basis of obscenity or vulgarity. Obscenity and vulgarity, in art at any rate, imply a certain amount of conscious effort on the part of the artist to be either obscene or vulgar; and indications of such a motive seem to be lacking in Grosz's work. Generally speaking, I would criticize Grosz on neither technical nor moral grounds; it can be admitted, however, that he is too picayune, too eager to seize upon comparatively insignificant, if true, aspects of humanity for the purpose of acrimonious accentuation. Substituting his name for that of Zola, "Everyone defecates; only Grosz bothers about it."

There is, however, another side to be taken. Grosz is primarily a caricaturist, and his unrelenting attacks upon society and its institutions can be partly attributed to a sincere desire to bring to people's minds the notion that all is not well. His bitter realization that the World War had nothing to do with spiritual purification made him turn against those phases of society which seemed to him to be contributing factors toward causing war. Hence Grosz's early work consists of a condemnation of the money-grabbing, cafe-inhabiting industrial magnate, and the puppet-like member of the masses who allowed himself to be manocuvered into slaughtering his fellows on the battle field. Grosz is not entirely without justification, for he has much to say; his method of communication is far more subtle than a cursory glance at his work might indicate. A further discussion of Grosz and of the other artists whose works are included in the Dunster House exhibit will be found in next week's column.