Beim Dengeln 1905

Kathe Kollwitz made this print, “Beim Dengeln,” which translates to “Sharpening the Scythe," using etching. The woman is hunched over her tool, face obscured, and the whole image is shrouded in a heavy, inky atmosphere. I love the way Kollwitz uses the darkness, not to hide, but to reveal the weight of labor and the quiet strength of this woman. Look at the way her hands are rendered – they’re not pretty or delicate, but strong, capable. The texture of the print itself adds to the feeling; you can almost feel the rough grain of the paper, the way the ink has bitten into it. It's like the image is emerging from the shadows, a slow, deliberate process, much like the work the woman is doing. You can see similar themes in the work of Paula Modersohn-Becker. Like her, Kollwitz invites us to contemplate the dignity of ordinary life. In both cases, we can see how art becomes a space for empathy, inviting us to see the world through another's eyes.