Crayon lithograph (transfer), Kn 208 III
The lithograph »Bread!« is one of Käthe Kollwitz’ most famous works and was created in the 1920s. It was published in 1924 in the portfolio »Starvation« for the Workers International Relief. This portfolio contained seven original lithographs by Otto Dix, George Grosz, Heinrich Zille and other artists.
In the early 1920s Käthe Kollwitz was inspired by the works of Ernst Barlach to explore woodcuts in depth. The sheet »Bread!« was also first executed using this technique which fascinated her at that time. She rejected this version, however, probably because of its lack of ‘readability’ and executed it as a lithograph instead.
Käthe Kollwitz, Bread!, rejected version of the lithograph »Bread!«, 1924, woodcut, Kn 207 I