Meine Mutter 1927

This is Walter Gramatté's "Meine Mutter," a poignant etching that captures the artist's mother. Gramatté, who was working in Germany during the early 20th century, lived through a period of immense social upheaval, with World War I casting a long shadow over personal and artistic expression. The print’s raw, emotive lines speak to the Expressionist movement, which sought to convey inner feelings and subjective experience. The artist’s rendering of his mother is both intimate and vulnerable. Note how her eyes seem to gaze both inward and outward, hinting at a life lived and observed. Gramatté, like many artists of his time, grappled with questions of identity, belonging, and the search for meaning in a rapidly changing world. This portrait can be seen as a search for familial connection amidst broader societal instability. It reminds us that art is not just about aesthetics, but about the human condition, our relationships, and the stories we carry within us.