Käthe Kollwitz

Käthe Kollwitz (1867-1945), a leading 20th century German artist, was known for her drawings, prints, and sculptures. In a career spanning more than five decades in a largely male-dominated art world, Kollwitz developed powerful and emotional imagery based on her own experiences, her interactions with working-class women in Berlin, and her exposure to the horrors of two world wars. While her naturalistic style at first appeared to be out of touch with the currents of abstraction that were becoming dominant during her lifetime, her depictions of universal human experiences, the depth and emotional power of her dense networks of lines and light and dark contrasts, were a potent reflection of her time that continue to resonate today. This publication examines the richness and depth of Kollwitz's work and features more than 100 colour and black and white reproductions of her engravings, drawings, and sculptures, largely drawn from the collection of the Art Gallery of Ontario as well as essays by Brenda Rix on Kollwitz's life and art and by Brian McCrindle on building the Kollwitz collection.