Käthe Kollwitz (geb. Schmidt; * 8. Juli 1867 in Königsberg (Preußen); † 22. April 1945 in Moritzburg bei Dresden) war eine deutsche Grafikerin, Malerin und Bildhauerin und zählt zu den bekanntesten deutschen Künstlerinnen des 20. Jahrhunderts. Mit ihren oft ernsten, teilweise erschreckend realistischen Lithografien, Radierungen, Kupferstichen, Holzschnitten und Plastiken, die auf persönlichen Lebensumständen und Erfahrungen basieren, entwickelte sie einen eigenständigen, Einflüsse von Expressionismus und Realismus integrierenden Kunststil.

Käthe Kollwitz (1867-1945)
The German painter, graphic artist and sculptor Käthe Kollwitz was born 1867 in Königsberg in East Prussia. After her marriage with Dr. Karl Kollwitz the artist settled down in Berlin. Influenced by Max Klinger and Gerhart Hauptmann she concentrated on printmaking and created her first main series such as ‚Ein Weberaufstand‘ (A Weaver’s Revolt) after Hauptmann’s drama. From 1908 to 1910 Käthe Kollwitz worked as free collaborator for the satirical periodical ‚Simplicissimus’, for which she created 14 drawings depicting the current problems of the proletariat In the following years she increasingly used her drawings and prints as an instrument of social and political commitment. Further her personal experiences and life circumstances, like the death of her son Hans in 1914, very much influenced her oeuvre. In 1909 Kollwitz started to create sculptures as well. In her times Kollwitz belonged to the most renowed members of the ‚Berliner Secession‘. Her works are held by numerous museums worldwide such as the MoMA, New York. The most comprehensive collections are on display at the Käthe-Kollwitz-Museums in Berlin, Cologne and Dresden. Käthe Kollwitz is one of the most renowned and influential German artists of the 20th century.