Käthe Kollwitz’s powerful work embodies the artistic philosophy of German Expressionism, which distorted physical reality to emphasize emotional experience. She turned her eye to the underprivileged, depicting women, children, the working class and the suffering they endured in Germany’s tumultuous, war-torn early 20th century. Her life was rife with tragedy, witnessing the death of three of her siblings at an early age and later the death of her son in World War II. She expressed her personal grief through compositions of mothers and children, and through self-portraiture. Kollwitz presents herself here with her hand rested on her forehead, anguish evident in her expression.
