The Mothers

1918/1919

Käthe Kollwitz

Associated Names
Käthe Kollwitz

Artist, German, 1867 - 1945

The image depicts a group of people from the waist up. The central figure is standing and slightly leaning forward, with a roughly sketched face and short hair. The clothing suggests heavy outerwear, possibly coats. Another standing figure is to the right, with less defined features. The sketch is monochromatic with soft, blurred lines. There are no visible jewelry or objects in their hands. The background is a light, unmarked space framed by darker tones. The composition has a dynamic and enigmatic quality.
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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    black crayon on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Rosenwald Collection

  • Dimensions

    overall: 48.1 x 31.8 cm (18 15/16 x 12 1/2 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1943.3.5222

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Nagel 1972, no. 759

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

LJR (Lugt Supp.1760b)

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1959

  • Käthe Kollwitz, circulated by the American Federation of Arts to ten venues (Time, Inc., New York, NY; Davison Art Center, Middletown, CT; Philbrook Art Center, Tulsa, OK; Pensacola Art Center, Pensacola, FL; The J. B. Speed Art Museum, Louisville, KY; Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, IL; St. Paul's School, Concord, NH; Allentown Museum of Art, Allentown, PA; Tacoma Art League, Tacoma, WA; and Fine Arts Museum of San Diego, San Diego, CA), 1959-1960, no cat.

Bibliography

1959

  • Bittner, Herbert. Kaethe Kollwitz Drawings. New York, 1959: 71.

1972

  • Nagel, Otto. The Drawings of Kathe Kollwitz. New York: Galerie St. Etienne; Crown Publishers, 1972.

Inscriptions

lower right in graphite: Kathe Kollwitz

Watermarks

(sheet edge)RES JCA France

Wikidata ID

Q64591943

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