Heinrich Rudolf Zille was a German artist, illustrator, photographer, and caricaturist best known for his vivid and often humorous depictions of working-class life in Berlin at the turn of the 20th century.

Zille began his career as a lithographer and printer, which strongly influenced his graphic style.  His works focus on the everyday lives of Berlin’s poor, tenement dwellers, laborers, street children, and entertainers, portrayed with a mix of sharp social observation, empathy, and irony.

Stylistically, Zille favored expressive line work and simplified forms, emphasizing character and gesture over idealized beauty. While his images often contain humor, they also serve as subtle social critique, highlighting poverty, overcrowding, and inequality in rapidly industrializing Germany.

In addition to drawing, Zille was an important early documentary photographer. His photographs of Berlin’s backstreets and courtyards informed his graphic work and provide valuable historical insight into urban life of the period.