KOLLWITZ, Käthe: Frau mit totem Kind

Frau mit totem Kind Käthe Kollwitz's haunting 1903 work captures the raw grief of a mother cradling her deceased child, a subject the German Expressionist would revisit throughout her life following personal tragedy. Drawing from her experiences as a social activist and artist in working-class Berlin, Kollwitz transforms intimate suffering into a universal statement about loss and maternal anguish. The work exemplifies her distinctive style—bold, emotionally direct, and stripped of sentimentality—establishing her as a pioneering voice in modern art who refused to look away from human pain.