Two Studies of a Woman's Head by Kathe Kollwitz

Two Studies of a Woman's Head c. 1903

drawing

amateur sketch

light pencil work

germany

pencil sketch

incomplete sketchy

pencil drawing

ink drawing experimentation

pen-ink sketch

sketchbook drawing

pencil work

initial sketch

"Two Studies of a Woman's Head" is a charcoal drawing created by German artist Käthe Kollwitz in 1903. The work depicts two studies of a woman's head, both in profile, with the head on the right turned slightly more toward the viewer. The artist's signature is in the lower right corner, and her mastery of charcoal drawing is evident in the expressive lines and subtle shading that capture the depth of the subject's emotions and the texture of their skin. Kollwitz was known for her powerful imagery that explored social and political themes, often focusing on the plight of the working class and the victims of war. This work is part of the collection of the Minneapolis Institute of Art, providing a valuable insight into Kollwitz's early artistic development.

Comments

minneapolisinstituteofart about 1 year ago

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Käthe Kollwitz had a remarkable ability to tap our capacity for empathy. Living in an impoverished section of Berlin, she witnessed firsthand the suffering of the ill, the unemployed, the malnourished, and the bereaved. This life study showing two views of a woman’s head conveys a world-weariness that speaks across time. In the larger study, Kollwitz shifted the position of the woman’s head, emphasizing the hollowness below her right cheekbone. She used fine hatching to bear in on the terrain of the woman’s haggard face. Finally, Kollwitz selectively smeared the chalk to indicate the soft skin of the woman’s lips and eyelids, lending a touch of tender vulnerability to her tough, leathery features. Related works reveal that as Kollwitz drew this study she had in mind a mother grieving over a dead child.