The Battlefield Possibly 1907 - 1921

print

photo of handprinted image

germany

print

pencil sketch

charcoal drawing

possibly oil pastel

charcoal art

carved into stone

underpainting

tonal art

remaining negative space

watercolor

"The Battlefield" is a powerful etching by Kathe Kollwitz, a German artist known for her depictions of human suffering and social injustice. Created between 1907 and 1921, the artwork is a poignant portrayal of the aftermath of war, likely inspired by the First World War, a period of intense conflict that devastated Europe. The composition, dark and brooding, showcases a soldier, slumped over the body of a fallen comrade, highlighting the devastating toll of war on individuals and society. Kollwitz's work in this piece masterfully utilizes chiaroscuro, a technique that emphasizes the stark contrast between light and dark, further intensifying the emotional weight of the scene. This lithograph, now part of the Minneapolis Institute of Art collection, continues to resonate with viewers, reminding them of the enduring human cost of war.

Comments

minneapolisinstituteofart about 1 year ago

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Käthe Kollwitz is acclaimed for her poignant scenes of human suffering, especially the tragic consequences of poverty and disease among women and children. A consummate draftsman, she relied on the graphic arts-in the form of prints, illustrations, and posters-as a powerful instrument of political allegiance to her left-leaning social agenda. She was anti-war, anti-violence, and a believer in the resilience of the human spirit. Kollwitz's dramatic night scene, part of her Peasant War print cycle, depicts a mother searching for her dead son among a field of corpses. In the soft light of the lantern, her weathered hand is illuminated as she touches the chin of a young man, perhaps her own child. Rather than portray the chaos and brutality of battle, Kollwitz shows us the agonizing aftermath of the fighting when the bodies of the dead were claimed by their loved ones. Though the scene alludes to the atrocities of a 16th-century workers revolt, it stands as a universal statement of a mother's love for her son, made more heartbreaking in that it foreshadows the death of Kollwitz's own son, Peter, who was killed in battle shortly after the start of the First World War (1914-1918).