Kathe
Kollwitz
Cruelties of War
“It is my duty to voice the sufferings of men, the neverending sufferings heaped mountain-high."
By Mrs. Romani and Mrs. Chen
Periods 5&8
What Art Movement is she a part of?

Expressionism


Stressed the
emotional and
psychological
expression of things.
In Käthe’s case, it was
her reaction to the
wars, working classes
and mother and child
bond.
Kollwitz, Käthe. The Mothers from War, 1920-21 [woodcut]. MoMA, New York.
Kollwitz, Käthe. War. 1920-21. Woodcut.
MoMA, New York.
Kollwitz, Käthe. The Mothers, 1919. Charcoal on paper. MET, New York.
Kollwitz, Käthe. Death with a Woman in His Lap. 1920-21. Woodcut. MET, New York.
•High Contrast Black and White Print and Drawing.
•The left is a portrait of two figures that are sitting down and leaning on one another
and the right is portrait of four adults and five children gathered very close to one
another.
•Feelings of sadness, pain and loss are all present within these two works.
Analysis





Background
Middle Ground
Foreground
No Color,
Gradients
Sense of Space is
crowded, heavy
Kollwitz, Käthe. The Mothers. 1919 . Charcoal on paper. Met, New York.
Cause and Effect (Flow Map # 2)

Relationship between title &
subject matter.

A story of protection, loss &
grief.

There is a direct relationship
to the title, the subject matter
and the artist’ life.
The Mothers
•Lost two sons in each of the wars •bond of Mother and child, cruelties of war, death)
Bibliography
Gilbert, Rita. Living with Art. New York: McGraw-Hill,
1998.