Kathe Kollwitz [Paperback]

Elizabeth Prelinger (Author), Alessandra Comini (Contributor), Hildegard Bachert (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1994

The German printmaker, draughtsman, and sculptor Kathe Kollwitz's images of mothers and children and of protest against social injustice have long been admired by both critics and the public. Kollwitz adhered to a figurative style in the era of abstraction and she depicted socially-engaged subject matter when it was unfashionable. Critics have often focused on those issues and have rarely studied the ways in which the artist manipulated technique and resolved formal problems. This illustrated book redresses this imbalance, portraying Kollwitz as an innovative and virtuosic artist rather than a mere chronicler of particular themes. The book consists of three essays on Kollwitz - Elizabeth Prelinger provides a reassessment of Kollwitz as an artist; Alessandra Comini presents a discussion of Kollwitz's life in Berlin during the tumultuous period that spanned two world wars; and Hildegard Bachert surveys the reception of Kollwitz in Germany and America as manifested in collections of her works. The volume, which includes a selection examples of Kollwitz's work, juxtaposes preparatory drawings with finished art, illustrating the arduous experimental process by which she attained her results. Themes important to Kollwitz - such as self portraits, political and social activism as illustrated in the cycles "The Weavers' Rebellion" and "The Peasants' War", love and death, nudes, workers, and war and revolution - are explored in all media.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This monograph, prepared to accompany a striking exhibition, provides important information on the life and art of one of the 20th century's most influential figurative artists. Kollwitz's brutally unadorned social commentary, with particular reference to the atrocities of Nazi Germany, continues to have the power to touch many viewers. The English-language text of this scholarly work is particularly useful, because most publications on Kollwitz are in German--the notable exception being the translated catalogue raisonne by Tom Fecht, Kathe Kollwitz: Works in Color (Schocken, 1988). Prelinger's insightful reappraisal of Kollwitz's aesthetic values and techniques are accompanied by Alessandra Comini's and Hildegard Bachert's fine essays. Even more than the good-quality plates, this book's text and its survey of German and American collections make it essential for research libraries.
- Paula A. Baxter, NYPL
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press (November 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300061684
• ISBN-13: 978-0300061680
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 9.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #819,301 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Amazing, Infomative Book on the Life of a Dedicated Artist, February 23, 2007

By 

Alouette1 "alouette1" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kathe Kollwitz (Paperback)

I am slowly but surely collecting books on Kollwitz. One of my art professors compared what I was doing to her work and I have since become a nicely obsessed student of everything she did and I read everything I can get my hands on.

This book is one of the best. First of all, I didn't have to get out my German lexicon and second, the narratives that go along with the many pictures are full of detail that you don't get in the smaller books. One of the major improvements that you will see is in her work, "Woman with Dead Infant." In many books it appears that the woman's face is melting in to the child, but in Prelinger's narrative, you see much more detail of the nude, vulnerable woman and her child with little covering up his bones.

She has many works-- mostly lithographs-- in colour, which is a delight after havimg only seen her work in other books as black and white.

One of her works, "Man Kneeling before a Female Nude" shocked me by it's erotic overtones, just as "Self Portrait en face, Laughing" shocked me with it's joy.

Kollwitz was very much a versatile artist and this book shows that. Any fan of Kollwitz will appreciate the narratives that go with the pictures, and for anyone who isn't a fan-- this book will make them fans!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wide-ranging and informative, September 9, 2007

By 

wiredweird "wiredweird" (Earth, or somewhere nearby) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Kathe Kollwitz (Paperback)

Kollwitz's lithographs captivate any feeling viewer. Until there's some way to render raw emotion on paper, especially the many different sorrows of war and poverty, her monochrome lithos approach that goal most closely. That makes it easy to forget her mastery of other media and other feelings, too. This book broadens a reader's view of this wonderful artist.

The cover image, "Female Nude with Green Shawl," starts to break the reader free from the easy stereotype of Kollwitz. It adds color to her commonly dark palette, and presents a simple celebration of womanly elegance. "Self-portrait laughing" and "Lovers" show that she could not only express joy, but depict different kinds of it. Woodcuts, etchings, charcoals, ink and wash, and wonderful pastels each display her drawing ability in different ways. "Tower of Mothers," "Mourning Parents," "Lovers," and other sculptures show her skill in bronze, granite, and plaster. Kollwitz's skills range far beyond what she's best known for, and this book helps us appreciate the breadth of that ability.

Given so many reproductions of her work, lovingly printed on bright, dense paper, a reader like me becomes easily distracted away from the helpful and informative text of the book. Three long essays, a catalog, timeline, and bibliography invite the reader to various kind of commentary, both in historical fact and in considered opinions. Her personal story as woman, mother, and artist as well as her work deserve attention; this gorgeous volume is a wonderful way to give her work and life some of the attention they deserve.

-- wiredweird