City Roofs c. 1930s

Jolán Gross-Bettelheim created this lithograph, titled 'City Roofs,' sometime in the first half of the 20th century. The urban landscape of densely packed buildings, chimneys, and angular roofs suggests a rapidly modernizing city. The image creates meaning through its formal composition. Gross-Bettelheim's use of sharp lines and contrasting tones evokes a sense of the industrial age. Born in Hungary, she migrated to the United States in 1939. The social conditions of interwar Europe – economic hardship, the rise of fascism, the looming threat of war – likely influenced her artistic vision. The print may reflect feelings of alienation, anxiety, or the loss of traditional values associated with urban life. The work has been interpreted as a statement of the dehumanizing effects of modernity. The history of art provides the means to better understand such works. By examining the artist's biography, the cultural context, and the formal qualities of the print, we gain a deeper appreciation of the complexities of the image.