Arbeiter mit Frau von der Feldarbeit heimkehrend 

Max Liebermann captured this drawing of laborers returning from the fields in charcoal. Immediately, one notices the heavy burden carried by the man, a potent symbol of toil. This motif of the burden, bent back, and arduous journey resonates through art history. Think of the stooped figures in Millet’s "The Gleaners." Even further back, classical antiquity presents us with Atlas, forever bearing the weight of the heavens. Yet, the nature of the burden evolves. In Liebermann’s era, it reflects the shift from rural to industrial labor, encapsulating the psychological weight of socio-economic pressures. This echoes in Käthe Kollwitz’s stark prints, where the burden becomes collective, a shared suffering. The persistent image of the burdened figure reminds us of shared human experiences, transcending time. The enduring symbol is a testament to the collective memory that art carries.