Provenance

Käthe Kollwitz „Drei Studien einer Arbeiterfrau“

An impressive testimony to social reality

In her “Drei Studien einer Arbeiterfrau” (Three Studies of a working woman), Käthe Kollwitz bears a powerful testimony to the suffering of the working population, especially women.

The woman in each of the positions wears dark, simple clothing, her head is lowered, she seems introspective and contemplative. Kollwitz impressively captures the inner state of the sitter through the expressive, rapid strokes and the deliberate contrasts of light and dark.

Characteristic working method of Käthe Kollwitz

These studies are closely related to the lithographs Kl. 83 and Kl. 84, which take up the same theme. Our present work bears witness to Kollwitz’s characteristic method: before the actual printing, she first sketched her figures in several variations in order to capture the essence of their posture and expression. By dispensing with any background, she focuses exclusively on the woman and her state of mind. The fine strokes emphasise the subtle depiction of skin, wrinkles and heavy clothing to intensify the emotional impact – thereby achieving the great expressive power of the composition.

Commitment to the working class

In part due to her husband’s political convictions, it was important to Käthe Kollwitz to depict the lives of working-class women with a seriousness and dignity that had rarely been represented in art to date. Despite her submissive posture, the woman depicted does not appear broken – on the contrary, what lies within her is a quiet strength and endurance which is characteristic of many of Käthe Kollwitz’ female figures.

Historical context:Commitment to social issues

In 1906, when the artist was already widely recognised, Käthe Kollwitz designed the poster for the first “Deutsche Heimarbeit-Ausstellung” (German Homework Exhibition) in Berlin – it shows the motif of an exhausted working woman.