Kathe Kollwitz

“I want to have an effect at this time, in which people are at such a loss and so much in need of help.” Käthe Kollwitz is the woman artist from 20th-century Germany whose works are best-known internationally. She also enjoys the highest esteem beyond the boundaries of Europe. The inimitable, touching language of her graphic and sculptural works is universally understood and her haunting message is more topical than ever. Outraged at the societal and social ills of her time, Kollwitz devoted herself throughout her life to the representation of people, giving a voice through her works to the distress and grief of the poor and underprivileged. Equally inspired in both expression and artistic execution, she took up topics like parting and death, peace and the sufferings of war. Her intimate portrayal of mothers and children and her self-portraits are full of strength and beauty. They, too, form part of Käthe Kollwitz’s oeuvre and show how multi-faceted her creative works were.

A richly illustrated survey of the work of one of the best-known German artists of the twentieth century.
 
Käthe Kollwitz (1867–1945) was one of the best-known German artists of the twentieth century. The unmistakable, touching language of her graphic and sculptural works is quickly grasped across cultures, enabling her work to be celebrated around the world.
 
Kollwitz debuted her graphic cycle “Ein Weberaufstand,” for which she drew inspiration from Gerhart Hauptmann’s drama of the same name, at the Great Berlin Art Exhibition in 1898. It was a great success, even as it caused a stir among the authorities because of its socially critical message. Outraged by the social ills of her time, Kollwitz dedicated her life to depicting people and giving a voice to the misery and grief of the poor and underprivileged in her works. Equally ingenious in terms of expression and artistic implementation, she took up themes such as farewell and death, peace, and the suffering of war in her graphics and sculptures. But she also offered intimate depictions of a mother and child, as well as self-portraits full of strength and beauty. This volume provides a brief but comprehensive overview of the artist’s life and oeuvre.