Käthe Kollwitz

Käthe Kollwitz (1867-1945) is a woman Sculpteur, engraver, Dessinatrice German, among the most important and known artists of the 20th century.

Biography

The name of birth of Käthe Kollwitz is Schmidt. It passes its childhood, of 1867 to 1885 with Konigsberg and in 1881, it starts to follow courses with the copper plate engraver Rudolf Mauer like with the painter Gustave Naujok. As of the thirteen years age, it makes its first engraving on copper. In the years 1885-86, she attends the art school of Berlin and was quickly recognized with other pupils, such as Gerhart Hauptmann and Arno Holz. In 1886, it returns in Konigsberg and follows then courses with Emil Neide, but it will study finally until 1889 with Munich with professor Ludwig von Herterich.
Après its studies in Berlin, it marries in 1891 Doctor Karl Kollwitz, they move in together in a district of Berliner workers in a house located at the angle of Weissenburger Strasse (called today “Kollwitz Strasse”). In 1892, it gives rise to its first Hans wire and in 1896 to the second, Peter, who, in 1914, share to settle in Flanders. After this disappointment, it turns to the Pacifisme and the Socialisme. From 1898 to 1903, she teaches at the artistic school of Berlin and, in 1910, she starts to exert in the field of the sculpture while taking as a starting point the famous the Ernst Barlach. Following that it binds friendship with the Berliner painter Otto Nagel.
Après the assassination of the German revolutionary Communist Karl Liebknecht (1871 - 1919), member of the left social democrat (SPD), it him dedication a sculpture on Wood. She thought that art was to represent the social conditions.
Following the victory of the National-socialisme, one forces it to resign of its station to the Academy of the Art schools of Berlin, created in 1816, as well as its function of director of the class of Graphisme. It was also relieved of its decoration For the Merit of the section arts and letters. The lightnings of the Nazis fell down thus on his destiny because it had to take part in the construction of a unit of workers fighting against national-socialisme, and one prohibits to him to expose his work, although part of its fabrics was used by the Nazis at ends of Propagande.
Pendant the Second world war, Käthe Kollwitz lived during some time with the castle of Bischofstein in the area of Stein. In 1943, it leaves to settle in Nordhausen. In November 1943, its apartment, which is located on “Weissenburger Strasse”, is bombarded and destroyed. In July 1944, it leaves for Moritzburg (Rudenhof), close to Dresden. She dies on April 22nd, 1945, only a few days before the end of the war, in Moritzburg.

Works

The whole of its works gathers engravings, lithographies, wood sculptures and plastic, dealing with societies' problems:

1893: cycle on the rising of the tisserands (das Weberaufstand) .
1908: cycle on the war of the peasants (Bauernkrieg) .
1919: woodcarving with the memory of Karl Liebknecht.
After the First World War, it carries out a cycle on the war, the proletariat, death and the famine .
Of the socialist posters, such as for example " Deny Wieder Krieg" (never of war), created for the day of German youth with Leipzig.
1940: drawings on the same topics, such as for example, in 1943, " Da stehe ich und grabe mir mein eigenes Grab" (I remain here and I dig my own tomb).

Kollwitz was member of the artistic organization of Berlin, it also worked for the international association of assistance to workers (IAH: International Arbeiterhilfe) and it was the first to form part, in 1919, of the Prussian Academy of arts. It did not belong to any party in particular but seemed and was considered itself a Socialiste.

Museums and memory

The majority of its works are exposed close to Dresden, with Berlin and Cologne. The museum of Cologne, built in 1985, was the first to pay homage to the artist. It has the largest collection of its work. The House of Käthe Kollwitz in Moritzburg (close to Dresden) is also opened with the public, and conceals two hundreds of works of this committed artist. After its death, to pay homage to him, the price Käthe-Kollwitz was created.
Plusieurs years after the death of Käthe Kollwitz, much of school S, Bookstore S and streets are baptized with its name, with its memory.
Pour to celebrate the fiftieth birthday of dead of the artist, in 1995,48 museums and private exposures decided to expose its works.

External bonds

Biography
Biography and examples of its work

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