Kollwitz, Käthe << KAWL vihts, KEH tuh >> (1867-1945), was a German printmaker and sculptor who became known for her social protest themes. Kollwitz lived in the slums of Berlin, and she championed the cause of the poor in her art. She became especially noted for powerful woodcuts that feature roughly cut black and white shapes.
Kollwitz first gained recognition for two series of etchings, The Weavers (1893-1898) and The Peasant War (1902-1908). They depict historical events in which the poor fought their oppressors. Kollwitz’ War (1923), a series of seven wood-block prints, expressed a woman’s reaction against the violence and destruction of war. The prints were inspired by her son’s death in World War I (1914-1918). Her most famous sculptures are a large war memorial called The Mother and The Father (1931-1932). The sculptures symbolize the grief of families of dead soldiers.
Käthe Schmidt Kollwitz was born on July 8, 1867, in Königsberg, Prussia (now Kaliningrad, Russia). She died on April 22, 1945.
