Kollwitz, Käthe, Aus vielen Wunden blutest du, o Volk (You Bleed from Many Wounds, O People), 1896
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| Artist: | Kollwitz, Käthe (1867 - 1945) |
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| Title: | Aus vielen Wunden blutest du, o Volk (You Bleed from Many Wounds, O People), 1896 |
| Medium: | Original Line Etching with Drypoint |
| Image Size: | 5 in x 13 1/4 in (12.6 cm x 33.7 cm) |
| Sheet Size: | 17 5/16 in x 12 1/2 in (44 cm x 31.8 cm) |
| Framed Size: | 33 9/16 in x 25 1/2 in (85.2 cm x 64.8 cm) |
| Edition: | From the edition of the Becke between 1946/48 and 1963/65; According to Knesebeck, this work is a State IV c (of IV d). |
| Condition: | This work is in excellent condition |
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Gallery Price
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Item# 2887
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| Historical Description: | |
| The powerfully engaging compositions in Kollwitz's work are apparent in this
depiction of the sorrows of humankind. Finely etched to reveal deep shadows
and multiple layers of detail, this is an exquisite work, reflective of the
artist's deep social awareness and understanding of humankind. Planned as the
final print in the "A Weaver's Revolt" series, this work contains
the subtle gesture and facial expressions seen in other works from this set.
While this piece was ultimately not included in the series, it stands alone
as a powerful and moving work, reflective of Kollwitz's style and artistic sensibilities.
A male corpse rests Christ-like in the center of the piece. Above this figure
stands a haunting subject with a down-turned sword pointed at the deceased.
To the left and right of the fallen man are two female figures, naked with arms
restrained by rope around unidentifiable pillars. All the figures posses a haunting
sense of hallow desperation that is further emphasized by the general dark appearance
of the etching.
Created in 1896, this original line etching with drypoint is from the edition of the Becke between 1946/48 and 1963/65; According to Knesebeck, this work is a State IV c (of IV d). This work was printed before the plate was cut into two parts. Documented and Illustrated in: About the Framing: | |
| Style: | Expressionism, 20th Century German Modern Expressionist |
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Biography of Käthe Kollwitz
Käthe Kollwitz (1867 - 1945)
One of the most influential and famous German printmakers of the twentieth century, Käthe Kollwitz starkly depicted the plight of the poor and denounced the atrocities of war. Working at a time when many artists used their art to investigate formal problems, Kollwitz devoted herself to describing the human condition. She declined the use of color, letting her vigorously clear and articulate line express urgency and social purpose, and her simplification of form and the absence of extraneous detail contribute to the power of her work.
Käthe Schmidt Kollwitz was born to a large family in East Prussia which valued freedom, mutual respect, social activism, and spiritual dedication. Kollwitz recalled that "from my childhood on, my father had expressly wished me to be trained for a career as an artist, and he was sure there would be no great obstacles to my becoming one."(1)
She began formal training at age fourteen under the engraver Rudolf Mauer, and, at seventeen she moved to Berlin where she enrolled in the School for Women Artists. While a student in Berlin, Kollwitz's teacher encouraged her to seek out the work of Max Klinger. She went to see Klinger's series of etchings A Life at an exhibit which "excited me tremendously."(2) Captivated by Klinger's work and deeply influenced by the writings of Émile Zola, Kollwitz turned to etching and lithography to depict social issues. Her marriage in 1891 to physician Karl Kollwitz, and his medical practice in a poor, working class section of Berlin further exposed her to a wide range of suffering and tragedy which would become the subject of her work over the next fifty years.
1. Hans Kollwitz, ed. The Diary and Letters of Kaethe Kollwitz (Evanston: Northwestern University Press, 1988), 37.
2. Kollwitz, The Diary, 39.
