Seeking to capture this change, Grosz portrays Berlin in the midst of World War I in his Expressionist style with a predominance of red in a very chaotic scene.
In the construction of the scene, he uses the techniques of cubism and futurism, with an exaggerated perspective and superposition of figures, that convey the feverish rhythm of city life.
[2] When the Nazis reached power, they banned modern art, so Grosz was one of the artists outlawed as degenerate.
Shortly thereafter, it was among the works sold by the Nazi regime in the Fischer Gallery in Lucerne, as part of fund-raising for the rearmament program.
Then it was bought by the German dealer Kurt Valentin, who emigrated to New York, where he opened the Buchholz Gallery.