Käthe Kollwitz (1867–1945) inspired by impressionism and symbolism? These two facets are among the lesser-known aspects of her œuvre. From August 18, the Wallraf-Richartz-Museum & Fondation Corboud will focus on three selected works from the collection of the Käthe Kollwitz Museum Köln that demonstrate the influence of modernism on the artist's early work. The intervention juxtaposes two oil studies that Kollwitz created during her studies in Munich, hardly known to the public, with paintings by her patron Max Liebermann (1847-1935). Elsewhere, an etching created in the context of her cycle »A Weavers’ Revolt« meets works by her idol Max Klinger (1857-1920) and other Symbolists: Encounters that shed new light on the young artist's talent in the face of her famous contemporaries.
Today Kollwitz ranks as one of the most significant German artists of the 20th century and that is largely due to her own distinctive style. The biggest collection of her work is held by the Käthe Kollwitz Museum in Cologne, but its exhibition rooms are closed for construction until the end of 2023. The series »Encounters – Käthe Kollwitz as a Guest in …« will ensure that her art remains visible.
From painter to printmaker
The work of Max Liebermann had a great influence on the young Kollwitz. She followed his evolution with interest as he shifted away from naturalism to become a major proponent of German impressionism. Two oil studies made during her training at the Ladies' Academy of the Künstlerinnen-Verein in Munich from 1888 to 1890 indicate that she was responding to his work. Liebermann went on to play a game-changing role in Kollwitz’s career. In 1898, when he was serving on the jury for the Great Berlin Art Exhibition, he argued that her Weavers cycle should receive an award, thereby facilitating her artistic breakthrough.
For the first time I felt confirmed in my path,
great perspectives opened up to my imagination,
and the night was sleepless with expectations of happiness.«
Käthe Kollwitz, Rückblick auf frühere Zeit, 1941
Before in 1886 the native of Königsberg began studying at the Ladies' Academy in Berlin, where she discovered the work of Max Klinger through her teacher Karl Stauffer-Bern (1857–1891). Two series of prints by Klinger, »A Life« and »A Love, made a particular impression on the budding artist. In Klinger’s essay »Painting and Drawing«, published in 1891, she found input that sparked her new interest in printmaking techniques: »Then I realised: I am not a painter at all!«
A cooperation between the Käthe Kollwitz Museum Köln and the Wallraf-Richartz-Museum & Fondation Corboud
Wallraf-Richartz-Museum & Fondation Corboud
The Wallraf houses one of the world's most important collections of medieval paintings. Other highlights include masterpieces from the Baroque, Romantic, Realist and Impressionist periods. The museum is located in the heart of the city, next to the historic town hall.
Wallraf-Richartz-Museum & Fondation Corboud
Obenmarspforten
50667 Köln
www.wallraf.museum
Opening hours + admission fees
Tuesday to Sunday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
1. and 3. Thursday of the Month 10 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Adults: 8 €, reduced 4,50 €
Käthe Kollwitz, Beer Garden I, 1888/89, oil on cardboard, 162 × 263 mm, Käthe Kollwitz Museum Köln
Käthe Kollwitz, Beer Garden II, 1888/89, oil on cardboard, 164 × 262 mm, Käthe Kollwitz Museum Köln
Max Liebermann, The Bleaching Ground, 1882, oil on canvas, 1090 x 1730 mm, Wallraf-Richartz-Museum & Fondation Corboud, ph. RBA Köln
Käthe Kollwitz, The Downtrodden, 1901, line etching, drypoint, aquatint and burnisher, Kn 49, Käthe Kollwitz Museum Köln