EXHIBITION OVERVIEW
Käthe Kollwitz (1867–1945), a leading 20th century German artist, was known for her drawings, prints (woodcuts, etchings and lithographs), and sculptures. Over a career spanning more than five decades in a largely male-dominated art world, Kollwitz developed powerful and emotional imagery based on her own experiences, her interactions with working-class women in Berlin, and her exposure to the horrors of two world wars.
In addition to her self-portraits, themes in Kollwitz’s work examine the lives and suffering of poor women, the intimate relationships between mothers and children, humanitarian and social issues, and her ongoing dialogue with death. Kollwitz designed prints and posters to protest poverty, hunger, and child mortality.
This exhibition celebrates the richness and depth of Kollwitz’s work and Dr. Brian McCrindle’s extraordinary donation to the AGO of 170 prints, drawings and sculptures by Kollwitz in 2015. This is one of the largest collections of the artist’s work outside Germany.
Organized by the Art Gallery of Ontario