City of Workers

An artist from Breslau, Hans Baluschek (1870–1935) was the son of a railway engineer who had been active in the Social Democratic Party of Germany.^[3] He completed City of Workers in 1920, two years after Germany's defeat in World War I. A member of the Berlin Secession, Baluschek used an emotional technique similar to the German Expressionists in his work, but remained influenced by Realist subject matter.^[2] The city-scape, with its contradictory beauty and despair, was a common subject of his.^[4]

Art historian Catherine Sawinski describes City of Workers as "a powerful critique of what political and social issues can do to ordinary citizens", one which depicts Berlin as "a menacing and dehumanizing force".^[2] Baluschek was a proponent for workers rights and himself a member of the Social Democratic Party.^[2][5]

City of Workers was once owned by Prince Wilhelm Victor of Prussia.^[2] Later owners included collectors in Rotterdam and The Hague. In 2006, the painting—expected to bring €15,000 to €20,000—was sold at Sotheby's Amsterdam for €95,000 (US$126,254) to an American collector.^[6] This was a record for a work by Baluschek. The painting was purchased by the Milwaukee Art Museum in 2010 from the Munich auction house Karl & Faber [de].^[2][7]