Eclipse of the Sun

 

George Grosz

Eclipse of the Sun, 1926
Oil on canvas
Museum Purchase

The Eclipse of the Sun Now exhibition at The Heckscher Museum of Art in Huntington, New York, runs from September 26, 2026, to May 9, 2027. 

Exhibition Overview

• Central Piece: Anchored by George Grosz's iconic 1926 oil-on-canvas masterpiece, Eclipse of the Sun, which critiques the greed and violence of Germany's Weimar regime. 
• Collection Scope: Features over 50 works drawn from the Heckscher Museum and the Art Bridges Foundation collections. 
• Core Themes: Explores a century of politically engaged art addressing themes such as war, civil rights, mass media, immigration, and the environment. 
• Historical Background

• George Grosz Connection: Grosz fled Nazi Germany for the United States in 1933 and later lived, worked, and visited the Heckscher Museum in Huntington from 1947 until his death in 1959. 
• Centennial Milestone: The exhibition marks the 100th anniversary of the creation of Eclipse of the Sun (acquired by the museum in 1968). 

George Grosz had a monumental year in 1926, cementing his legacy as one of the most savage and vital political satirists of the Weimar Republic. While Eclipse of the Sun is globally celebrated, he actually painted multiple landmark masterpieces during this exact twelve-month window that laid bare the impending rise of European fascism. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

The Landmark 1926 Masterpieces

Artwork	Primary Satirical Target	Current Permanent Location
Eclipse of the Sun	Corruption between the military-industrial complex and corporate greed.	Heckscher Museum of Art (New York)
The Pillars of Society	Biting caricatures of nationalistic judges, the compliant press, clergy, and politicians.	Nationalgalerie (Berlin)
Portrait of Dr. Felix J. Weil	A brilliant example of the Neue Sachlichkeit (New Objectivity) movement.	[Museum of Fine Arts, Boston](https://www.britannica.com/biography/George-Grosz "George Grosz