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Käthe Kollwitz

@kkollwitz.bsky.social

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Fan account of Käthe Kollwitz, a German artist, who worked with painting, printmaking and sculpture. 1867-1945 Automated #artbot thanks to @andreitr.bsky.social and @botfrens.bsky.social

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Käthe Kollwitz @kkollwitz.bsky.social · 2h

Call of Death (Ruf des Todes) from the series Death (Tod) http://www.moma.org/collection/works/117571

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Käthe Kollwitz @kkollwitz.bsky.social · 5h

The Sacrifice https://collections.artsmia.org/art/56243/

Plate 1
Several German artists tackled the theme of War during this explosive period in their country's history. Kollwitz's series of seven woodcuts is unique among these in that it does not focus on warfare per se, but on the women and children at home before, during, and after the battle. In these large-scale works she used the woodcut medium in a bold and graphic manner to convey her sorrow and anger at current events in Germany. The first print of the suite is this sheet in which a mother offers her newborn baby to the cause; this idea of sacrifice permeates the entire series.

Käthe Kollwitz @kkollwitz.bsky.social · 8h

Self-portrait https://collections.artsmia.org/art/115092/

head of a woman with wide mouth and thin lips; light-colored hair

Käthe Kollwitz @kkollwitz.bsky.social · 1d

Fear, from "Kriegszeit," vol. 1, no. 10, Oct. 28, 1914 https://www.harvardartmuseums.org/collections/object/223795

One page from Paul Cassirer's Kriegszeit: Künstlerflugblätter (einfache Ausgabe).

Harvard Art Museums/Busch-Reisinger Museum, Gift of Louis W. Black

© Estate of Käthe Kollwitz, Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn

Käthe Kollwitz @kkollwitz.bsky.social · 1d

Nälkä http://kokoelmat.fng.fi/app?si=C+VI+2346

"Nälkä" by Käthe Kollwitz depicts figures in an anguished embrace, capturing themes of suffering and human despair. Through stark contrasts and raw emotion, Kollwitz, a German artist known for addressing social injustice, explores the profound impact of poverty and famine.

Käthe Kollwitz @kkollwitz.bsky.social · 1d

Självporträtt från sidan http://kokoelmat.fng.fi/app?si=C+VI+2475

Självporträtt från sidan

Käthe Kollwitz @kkollwitz.bsky.social · 2d

Two Chatting Women with Two Children https://www.wikiart.org/en/kathe-kollwitz/not_detected_235992

Two Chatting Women with Two Children

Käthe Kollwitz @kkollwitz.bsky.social · 2d

Sleeping Woman with Child https://www.slam.org/collection/objects/23054/

"Sleeping Woman with Child" by Käthe Kollwitz depicts a tender scene of maternal intimacy, characterized by its use of stark contrasts and gentle lines to evoke emotion. Kollwitz, renowned for her poignant portrayals of human struggle and compassion, masterfully captures the warmth and tranquility of this moment in her iconic graphic style.

Käthe Kollwitz @kkollwitz.bsky.social · 2d

The Mothers https://www.wikiart.org/en/kathe-kollwitz/not_detected_235985

"The Mothers," a powerful woodcut by Käthe Kollwitz, captures the deep sense of fear and unity among a group of women embracing protectively. Kollwitz, known for her empathetic portrayal of social injustice and the effects of war, evokes a poignant expression of maternal strength and collective grief.

Käthe Kollwitz @kkollwitz.bsky.social · 3d

Self Portrait (Selbstbildnis) https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/objects/49214

This charcoal self-portrait by Käthe Kollwitz, created in 1924, captures the artist's introspective and somber expression using bold, expressive lines. Known for her empathetic portrayal of human suffering, Kollwitz's work often reflects her personal experiences and deep concern for social issues.

Käthe Kollwitz @kkollwitz.bsky.social · 3d

Never Again War https://www.wikiart.org/en/kathe-kollwitz/not_detected_235977

Käthe Kollwitz's artwork "Never Again War" powerfully conveys a plea for peace through the emotive figure of a woman raising her arm in protest. Created in the aftermath of World War I, this piece exemplifies Kollwitz's commitment to using art as a form of social and political activism.

Käthe Kollwitz @kkollwitz.bsky.social · 3d

Selbstbildnis im Profil nach rechts (Self-Portrait in Profile towards Right) https://collections.artsmia.org/art/43437/

Kollwitz created numerous self-portraits throughout her career, including this one completed when she was 71 years old. In the last two decades of her life, the artist turned increasingly to the medium of lithography, which she uses here with great ease. This particular print was not signed by the artist, but by her son Hans Kollwitz. He annotated the work, "from the estate of KŠthe Kollwitz."

Käthe Kollwitz @kkollwitz.bsky.social · 4d

Small Self-Portrait (Kleines Selbstbildnis) (plate 3) from Deutsche Graphiker der Gegenwart (German Printmakers of Our Time) http://www.moma.org/collection/works/9039

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Käthe Kollwitz @kkollwitz.bsky.social · 4d

Woman with Bowed Head https://collections.artsmia.org/art/114998/

head and shoulders of a middle-aged woman, looking down toward LLC; dark ground

Käthe Kollwitz @kkollwitz.bsky.social · 4d

Mother and Child, from "Bildermann," April 20, 1916 https://www.harvardartmuseums.org/collections/object/223788

Harvard Art Museums/Busch-Reisinger Museum, Gift of Louis W. Black

© Estate of Käthe Kollwitz, Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn

Käthe Kollwitz @kkollwitz.bsky.social · 5d

Portfolio cover for "Krieg" series https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/objects/163818

This portfolio cover for the "Krieg" series by Käthe Kollwitz features a somber and expressionistic depiction of a grieving figure, symbolizing the deep sorrow and emotional devastation caused by war. Kollwitz, renowned for her poignant graphic works, often focused on themes of suffering and loss, drawing from her personal experiences in war-ravaged Germany.

Käthe Kollwitz @kkollwitz.bsky.social · 5d

Killed in Action https://www.wikiart.org/en/kathe-kollwitz/not_detected_235976

"Killed in Action," part of Käthe Kollwitz's poignant work series, powerfully captures the raw grief of a mother and her children as they mourn the loss of their father. Kollwitz, deeply affected by personal tragedy and the devastating impacts of war, skilfully uses stark lines and haunting expressions to convey intense emotions and human suffering.

Käthe Kollwitz @kkollwitz.bsky.social · 5d

Hunger https://www.wikiart.org/en/kathe-kollwitz/not_detected_235989

The artwork "Hunger" by Käthe Kollwitz starkly depicts the bleakness of starvation with haunting figures and stark contrasts, evoking deep emotional resonance. Created with powerful expressionistic lines, it reflects Kollwitz's commitment to social justice and the struggles of the working class.

Käthe Kollwitz @kkollwitz.bsky.social · 5d

March of the Weavers https://collections.artsmia.org/art/9064/

Plate 4
In early 1893, Kollwitz attended a private showing of Gerhart Hauptmann's play The Weavers in Berlin. The play was based on a historical uprising of Silesian workers in 1844, in which the workers decide their lot is intolerable and rally at the mansion of their employer. He calls in the military and in the scuffle that results, a stray bullet kills an old man who had opposed the uprising. There is no easy or happy conclusion, and the play ends on this note. By basing her graphic cycle on this infamous work, Kollwitz established herself as an artist concerned with the downtrodden. The images of this cycle confront the difficult themes of poverty, infant mortality, violent rebellion, and retaliatory slaughter. The images were not intended to illustrate the play, but rather to create a parallel and self-sufficient visual text so that even those unfamiliar with the play could understand the continual struggle of the worker. Kollwitz began work on A Weavers' Rebellion in 1893, and exhibited the six images of the series five years later.

Käthe Kollwitz @kkollwitz.bsky.social · 6d

The Volunteers https://www.wikiart.org/en/kathe-kollwitz/not_detected_235980

"The Volunteers," a woodcut from 1923 by Käthe Kollwitz, poignantly depicts soldiers marching determinedly forward under a looming arch. The piece reflects Kollwitz's exploration of the grim realities of war, infused with expressive lines that evoke a profound sense of movement and emotional turmoil.

Käthe Kollwitz @kkollwitz.bsky.social · 6d

Death Grabbing at a Group of Children (Tod greift in eine Kinderschar) from the series Death (Tod) http://www.moma.org/collection/works/117569

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Käthe Kollwitz @kkollwitz.bsky.social · 7d

Need https://www.wikiart.org/en/kathe-kollwitz/not_detected_235963

Käthe Kollwitz's artwork "Need" powerfully depicts the despair and struggles of poverty, highlighting an emotionally distressed figure in a dimly lit, cluttered room. Her use of light and shadow emphasizes the somber atmosphere, reflecting her profound empathy for the oppressed and her lifelong commitment to social justice through art.

Käthe Kollwitz @kkollwitz.bsky.social · 7d

The Parents https://collections.artsmia.org/art/56194/

Plate 3
Kollwitz reworked the motif of the bereaved parents multiple times as both a print and a sculpture. She planned the sculpture to serve as a memorial to her son Peter who was killed in World War I. She struggled with this image and wrote in her journal, "Yet again I am not finished with the War series. Done the sheet 'Parents' over again. Suddenly it looks entirely bad to me. Far too bright and hard and distinct. Pain is totally dark." Yet in the end, Kollwitz succeeded in capturing the grief of the bereaved parents that she knew only too well.

Käthe Kollwitz @kkollwitz.bsky.social · 7d

Bust of a Working Woman in a Blue Shawl (Brustbild einer Arbeiterfrau mit blauem Tuch) https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/objects/49213

Condition: good.

Käthe Kollwitz @kkollwitz.bsky.social · 8d

The Widow II (Die Witwe II) https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/objects/57362

Käthe Kollwitz's "The Widow II (Die Witwe II)" is a poignant woodcut from her "War" series, depicting the profound grief and despair of a widow confronting loss. The dark, expressive lines and stark contrast capture the emotional turmoil and suffocating loneliness that war inflicted on those left behind.