What were some common themes in the work of Käthe Kollwitz? How did her use of prints enhance her subject matter and content? Discuss at least one of her works in your response.

What will be an ideal response?

Kollwitz's art communicate profound grief and deep introspection. Her art champions the strength of women and explores the overwhelming but sometimes painful power of love. She identified passionately with the sufferings of working people; as a mother, she identified with the struggle of women to keep their children safe. These themes of anxiety and suffering are emphasized by her use of prints, especially woodcuts. For example, The Widow II is stark, and Kollwitz used the black ink and white page to create dramatic chiaroscuro. The deep visible cuts represent the violence from World War I, and the trauma it left on generations of people, especially women.