The Parents, 1921-22 (published 1923)
Käthe Kollwitzexpand_more
Woodcut on Japan paperexpand_more
The Print and Drawing Seminar Fundexpand_more P.71.142
Not on Viewexpand_more
Kollwitz reworked the motif of the bereaved parents multiple times as both a print and a sculpture. She planned the sculpture to serve as a memorial to her son Peter who was killed in World War I. She struggled with this image and wrote in her journal, "Yet again I am not finished with the War series. Done the sheet 'Parents' over again. Suddenly it looks entirely bad to me. Far too bright and hard and distinct. Pain is totally dark." Yet in the end, Kollwitz succeeded in capturing the grief of the bereaved parents that she knew only too well.
Details
- Title
- The Parents
- Artist Life
- 1867–1945
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- P.71.142
- Provenance
- (Hauswedell); sold to MIA, 1971.
- Catalogue Raisonne
- Klipstein 179 Ivb/IVd; W.159
- Curator Approved
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
Does something look wrong with this image? Let us know
Zoom in on the left to the detail you'd like to save. Click 'Save detail' and wait until the image updates. Right click the image to 'save image as' or copy link, or click the image to open in a new tab.