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Käthe Kollwitz was a German artist, who originally trained as a painter, but transitioned to etching and sculpture after 1890. Her works narrate the range of human experiences–love, joy, suffering, conflict, motherhood–often represented by the working class women, children, and men she portrays. However, she also drew on her own life for inspiration: the loss of her son in WWI and the constant threat posed by the Nazis were particularly impactful. To create the emotional world of her subjects and to evoke an emotional response in her viewers, Kollwitz employed strong contrasting values and line density. She was influential in the way women were portrayed in the arts, deviating from traditional expectations and guises, while also exploring the complexities of motherhood. Furthermore, Kollwitz was an important figure in facilitating and increasing the visibility and validity of female artists during her life.Label Type
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In this print, Käthe Kollwitz creates a dramatic visual narrative, in which the tension and emotional turbulence between a young couple is expressed through her contrasting use of light and dark. The man’s back is shown as he turns away from the woman and is enveloped in shadow. In the foreground, the woman is seated, her body slouched, and her face almost devoid of emotion. This work portrays the complexities and struggles of a relationship, most likely that of a working class couple. Kollwitz maximizes the effects of the incisions integral to intaglio printing here. The depth and shadow that result intensify the moodiness of this scene.