Käthe Kollwitz
Today we got the opportunity to learn about Käthe Kollwitz! I knew a little bit about her before coming to Berlin, and I’m so grateful I got to learn more! Rob and MaryAnn taught us a lot before going into her museum, and here’s what I learned. She was an artist, and her dad noticed her artistic talent from a young age. She had a good education for the time, and went to an art school. She didn’t love color, but she loved lithographs and charcoal. She met Karl Kollwitz, but her family didn’t want her to marry him because they thought she wouldn’t be able to do her art because she had to do housework. However, Karl did housework to make sure that didn’t happen. They had 3 sons, and one of them died in WWI. She became depressed after this and started changing the type of art she made. Repeatedly in her work after her son died were mothers with and protecting children, grieving parents, and more pacifist themes. She also believed in the idea that children should not be going off to war because they are our potential & our future.
I think there are many things that make Käthe Kollwitz’ contributions important. Her powerful decisions of war, poverty, and social injustice brought attention to the impact these issues have on humans. Her work, known for its empathy and emotional depth, humanized the suffering of the working class and the impact of war. Her influence also extended beyond art. She inspired political and social change in Germany by raising awareness and promoting empathy. Her well known style and dedication to social causes have made her a figure in art history, focusing on the role of art in both activism and societal reflection.
In my opinion, I believe she’s been commemorated very well. As MaryAnn told us, she of course has her museum in Berlin, and she also has a 3D sculpture of a mother protecting a woman in honor of her. In addition, she also has a plaza named after her where she and her husband worked, where there is a self portrait as well. She has also won a number of prizes in her life for all of her art. She was, and still is, a very well known and loved artist. I think all of these commemorations are accurate and honorable for the contributions she’s made to the art industry.
Yay Käthe!
Sophie
This was great! While many of the obstacles Käthe Kollwitz faced still exist to some extent, there has been considerable progress in addressing them. Gender discrimination has decreased, though not disappeared; global support for artistic freedom has grown. Kollwitz’s resilience and determination in the face of these obstacles continue to create a more supportive environment for artists today.
ReplyDeleteLearning about Käthe helps us understand Berlin as a cultural capital because of its history with war. Her main theme of grief in the later years of her work comes as a result of the First World War. War and loss is a major factor in the people’s lives in this city. A cultural capital collects art that will connect with its citizens.
ReplyDeleteLoved reading your blog post Sophie! I think that learning about her life shows a lot about Berlin and the challenges that those in society experienced. During this time of the war, there was so much trauma, tragedy, and loss. Kathe Kollwitz showed all of the emotions that the people she knew were facing and I think it really deepens my understanding of their sorrows.
ReplyDeleteI love this post! Käthe went through many hard things because of the war and the deaths she experienced from the war. This hampered her because of how difficult these things are. Death is something that is always relevant and people have to go through and work through every day.
ReplyDeleteUnderstanding Käthe has helped us to learn more about Berlin as a cultural capital because we can understand that they are representing the hard things that began with the country. This helps us to understand how difficult the war was for Germans as well.
Hi sophie! great post! Käthe Kollwitz faced tough challenges due to old ideas about women's roles in society. Her husband supported her art, even though others doubted her. Today, while things have improved, many still face similar obstacles. Kollwitz's art and messages about fairness and care still teach us valuable lessons today.
ReplyDeleteAwesome job twin!! Käthe Kollvitz was one of my favorite to learn about. I think that she helps to deepen our understanding of Berlin because she was very anti-war and her paintings reflected that. Her own son died in WWI, and both of the World Wars were mainly started and fought by the Germans, so it is good to see that people living in Germany during this time were critical of their countries involvement. I think a lot of the time we think that they all must have been complacent during the wars, or that they all believed they were on the right side, but seeing her art makes me realize that their are more sides to Germany's history and that Berlin as a city is so much more complex.
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