Ward, Margaret Siobhan. “A Mother's Grief”, Boston College, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/2345/450.
Abstract
Käthe Kollwitz (1867-1945) was a progressive artist who used art as a cathartic means to live through the death of her son in WWI and grandson in WWII. Trapped in the sexist generation of early 20th century Germany, Käthe defied the society in which she lived to create art that served as an empathetic mouthpiece for society's marginalized. She created thousands of lithographs and hundreds of sculptures depicting war, death, and poverty. Käthe found beauty in the struggle of the working class and constantly used her physician husband's patients as subjects of her work. As she continued into the socialist realm, she made enemies with German leaders, including Adolph Hitler. Her work fiercely rejected Germany's involvement in World War I and condemned Hitler's Third Reich near the onset of World War II. Käthe's use of bleak colors and disturbing subject matter penetrates the viewer's comfort zone. The viewer is unable to turn away from her work without feeling guilt, and is forever haunted by her prudent recognition of truth.
