Käthe Kollwitz

Turmoil and death exist through evil inclinations of the heart that quenches life and prosperity from humanity.  Suffering is a symptom that humankind experiences when deprived from peace and right living. When roomers of wars come striking within the city gates demanding change the people must prepare for the fatal words. Many have and will rise to defend their land when authoritative figures state it is for the greater good. The repercussions of war bring poverty, hunger, endless grief, loss of loved ones, and an overall great disturbance of peace among the people. This theme is what you will predominantly find in Käthe Kollwitz works of art.

Käthe Kollwitz a German artist through the voice of visual art chooses printmaking, drawing, painting, etching, woodcut, lithography, and sculpture to frame the sorrows of mankind. Kollwitz used her artworks to depict the countless sufferings of the working class within the surrounding communities including her own afflictions brought about by the wars, and social injustices. The challenges of losing her son Peter in battle of World War I in 1914, later facing threats against her work from the power of the Nazi regime affected her greatly. In the 1940s Kollwitz lost her husband due to an ill health and lost her grandson in combat in World War II. Through her trials and tribulations Kollwitz faced herself with full integrity in the making of her self-portraits. Kollwitz self-portraits document the relationship stimulated in the phases of aging, art, and her spiritual growth through these difficult circumstances. Critical situations that press upon the freedoms of many can reap havoc amongst the people. In art in many cases has been used as a mechanism to work through problematic emotions. Art is a visual witness used by Kollwitz to help cope and bring understanding of such hardships viewed in her work today.