First Victory; Then Peace, from Kriegszeit, no. 20, 30 December 1914 1914

Curator: Looking at this lithograph, "First Victory; Then Peace," created by Ernst Barlach on December 30, 1914, I am immediately struck by the density of the medium and the stark contrast it creates. Editor: A somber piece. The hunched figure, almost drowning in shadow, against the field of crosses, speaks volumes of despair. Curator: Barlach worked with various printmaking techniques, and here, the lithographic crayon seems to emphasize the raw, almost crude texture, which is so important to convey the mood. The inscription at the bottom translates as "First Victory, Then Peace!" Editor: The material qualities amplify the emotional weight, don't they? The mass-produced nature of prints, juxtaposed with the unique mark-making, feels inherently connected to the industrialized nature of war and grief. Curator: Absolutely. It's as though Barlach wanted us to feel the weight of loss, but also the hollow promise embedded in the pursuit of victory during wartime. You can see it even in the angel's trumpet, the star above the crosses. Editor: Thinking about the process, the physical act of creating this work—the grinding of the stone, the application of the crayon—adds another layer. It's manual labor mirroring the labor of war. Curator: An insightful connection. It's a brutal image, but the care and craft in its creation offer a strange sort of beauty, don’t you think? Editor: Indeed. Barlach’s process reminds us that even in darkness, there is the human element of production, of resistance, and of art.