Pflugzieher und Weib 1902

This print, "Pflugzieher und Weib", was made by Kathe Kollwitz using etching and aquatint. The sepia tones create an intimate, earthy feel, like something dug up from the soil. I try to imagine Kollwitz working on this. The back and forth between plate and paper, test prints and adjustments. I think about the sheer physical effort—the pressing, the biting of acid—to translate her vision into these stark lines and textured shadows. Look at the stooped figure of the farmer, a dark shape against the lighter field. It's a gesture of exhaustion, of relentless labor, isn't it? You can feel the weight of the earth, the pull of the plow. The way the lines are etched, they seem to carve not just the image, but the very weight of existence onto the page. Kollwitz isn't just depicting labor; she's embodying it. And in doing so, she reminds us that art-making is also a form of labor, a process of struggle and perseverance. It's like she’s speaking to other printmakers across time, saying, “I see you, I feel you, I know the grind.”