Death 1897

Here, in Kathe Kollwitz's print, we encounter the stark figure of Death, shrouded in darkness, a timeless symbol echoing through centuries of art and collective fear. Death looms over a family, a father weary with despair and a child holding a candle, a fragile beacon of life. This image reverberates with the medieval concept of the "Dance of Death", where Death, as a skeletal figure, leads all, irrespective of status, in a macabre dance. Think of Holbein's woodcuts, where Death appears in everyday scenes, a constant, unsettling presence. Here, Kollwitz uses that motif to speak about the modern age. The candle held by the child evokes the "light of life", but it is flickering, vulnerable, reminding us of our mortality. The emotional power of this image lies in its raw depiction of vulnerability and inevitability, engaging our deepest subconscious fears. This symbol—Death—is not static but a cyclical force, resurfacing, evolving, and taking on new meanings, as relevant today as it was in the medieval era.