Kthe

Kollwitz
& WWI
High School Art 4

The People, from the Krieg collection (1922)

Source: The MoMA Collection, http://www.moma.org/collection/works/69688?locale=en
Kthe Kollwitz
Born in 1867 in East Prussia (now
Russia)

Died 1945 in Dresden, Germany

German Expressionist

Studied painting in Knigsberg, Berlin,

and Munich

Worked in graphic art - etchings,

lithographs, woodcuts, drawing

Known for her social commentary and

powerful depictions of emotion Self Portrait en Face, 1923
Source: The Kathe Kollwitz Museum Koln,
http://www.kollwitz.de/module/werkliste/liste.aspx?lid=8&head=Tour+-+Self-portraits&ln=e
Kthe Kollwitz
Artistic Influence - the prints of Max
Klinger

Social & Political Influences

Working with the urban poor in
her husbands clinic
The death of her son, Peter, in
battle in 1914
Her pacifist views and political
involvement
The economic state of
Germany and Russia after WWI

The Grieving Parents, memorial to Peter Kollwitz

Source: Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%A4the_Kollwitz )
Prussia
World War I - The Basics
In the early 1910s, tensions were rising in Europe and Asia.
An arms race was underway, with several countries competing to have the
strongest armies.
Ethnic differences among the Balkans (region consisting of Greece, Turkey,
Albania, Serbia, and Italy, among other countries) were causing growing tensions.
Germany and Austria-Hungary were threatened by Russias growing strength.
France, Britain, and Serbia formed alliances with Russia.
WWI officially began with the assassination of the Austro-Hungarian Archduke
Franz Ferdinand by a Serbian nationalist on June 28, 1914.
The US debated entering WWI for months, but was forced to decide when
German U-boats sank three American ships in 1916.
After many treaties (including the Treaty of Versailles) and Armistice
agreements, the war officially ended on November 11, 1918.
 Map of WWI Involvement
Source: 40 Maps that Explain WWI, http://www.vox.com/a/world-war-i-maps
World War I - The Basics
Due to the Industrial Revolution and new innovations in warfare, WWI was
more brutal and devastating than any other war in recent history.
Technologies such as the machine gun, poison gas, flamethrowers, tanks,
and aircraft greatly increased the number of casualties.
WWI was also the first instance of trench warfare - a particularly grueling form
of battle in which soldiers dig long trenches that protect them from gunfire but
also prevent them from gaining significant ground, leading to drawn out
battles with no clear victors.
Because medical technology had improved, soldiers with severe injuries
survived the war at a much higher rate. This led to an increase in
developments of prosthetic limbs and facial reconstruction methods, but it
also led to an increase in homeless veterans who were unable to work.
Artisan Sir Harold Gillies making lifelike masks for soldiers with severe facial injuries
Source: Faces of War, Smithsonian Magazine, http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/faces-of-war-145799854/?no-ist
Austro-Hungarian soldiers practice walking with
artificial legs at the First War Hospital in Budapest.
Source: How World War I Gave Birth to the Modern, CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/30/opinion/merjian-art-modern-wwi/
The town hall and belfry of Arras,
France is seen from the main square in
this archive photo of destruction
wrought during WWI.
Source: Haunting Photos of World War I, PBS
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/images-world-war-devastation-o
verlaid-modern-photos-france/
World War I - Effects on Art
The shock of World War I caused the art world to completely reject traditional
techniques and content. The beautiful imagery of Victorian art could no longer
accurately express the emotional content. Modernism takes firm root.

Four movements were particularly influenced by WWI

Futurism - before and during the war, these artists approved of machinery and
industrialization. They believed that war was necessary to further society.
Metaphysical Art - this precursor to Surrealism dealt with the feelings of anxiety
and post-apocalyptic dread brought about by WWI.
Dada - these artists were deeply affected by WWI. They saw the world as having
no meaning or rationality, and wanted to shock people into seeing the same thing.
German Expressionism - this movement existed before the war, but its
development was significantly changed due to the events that happened in the
1910s.
Futurism
Giacomo Balla, Speeding Automobile
Source: The MoMA Online Collection, http://www.moma.org/collection/works/79343?locale=en
Dada
Man Ray, Cadeau (Gift)
Source: The Philadelphia Museum of Art Collection,
http://www.philamuseum.org/collections/permanent/293203.html
Metaphysical Art
Giorgio de Chirico, The Red Tower
Source: The Guggenheim Museum, https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/853
Late German Expressionism
Max Beckmann, Family Picture
Source: The MoMA Collection, http://www.moma.org/collection_ge/object.php?object_id=78507
Woodblock Prints by Kthe Kollwitz
The People, from the War collection (1922)
Source: The MoMA Collection, http://www.moma.org/collection/works/69688?locale=en

Class Discussion Prompt

Who do you think is depicted here? Whats
their age/class/culture? How can you tell?
 Class Discussion Prompts
Tell me whats going on in this
piece.
What emotions do you get from this?

Hunger, from the Famine collection (1922)

Source: ArtSTOR
 Class Discussion Prompts
Whats going on in this piece?
What kind of elements of art
do you see here?

The Volunteers , from the War collection (1922)

Source: The MoMA Collection, http://www.moma.org/collection/works/69688?locale=en
The Widow, from the War collection (1922)
Source: The MoMA Collection, http://www.moma.org/collection/works/69688?locale=en

Class Discussion Prompts

What emotions do you get from this?
 Class Discussion Prompts
How do these people feel
about the war?
These pieces were made in
the early 1900s, but can you
still identify with them? Why
do you think that is?

The Parents, from the War collection (1922)

Source: The MoMA Collection, http://www.moma.org/collection/works/69688?locale=en
Class Discussion Prompts
Tell me whats
going on in this
piece.
Who are these
people?

The Mothers, from the War collection (1922)

Source: The MoMA Collection, http://www.moma.org/collection/works/69688?locale=en