A graphite drawing depicts the outline of a woman with her arms lifted above her head and her back turned to the viewer. A graphite drawing depicts the outline of a woman with her arms lifted above her head and her back turned to the viewer.

This exhibition closed on March 13, 2020, as part of Getty's measures against the coronavirus (COVID-19).

Käthe Kollwitz, one of the foremost graphic artists of the 20th century, is celebrated for her affecting portrayals of the hardships of war, poverty, and injustice and for her technical virtuosity. A selection of works on paper from the Dr. Richard A. Simms Collection at the Getty Research Institute—including rare preparatory drawings, working proofs, and trial prints—sheds light on Kollwitz's creative process and reveals the depth of her social and political engagement.

All works in the exhibition are from the Getty Research Institute's Dr. Richard A. Simms Collection of Prints and Drawings by Käthe Kollwitz and Other Artists, which is a partial gift of Dr. Richard A. Simms.

SELECTED WORKS

A graphite drawing on darkened blue-green laid paper depicts a woman with her arms lifted above her head and her back turned to the viewer.

The Black Anna, Käthe Kollwitz, 1903. The Getty Research Institute, 2016.PR.34. © 2019 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

A print shows a woman from the back standing in a field. Her uplifted arms prompt the crowd of peasants in front of her to surge forward.

Charge, Käthe Kollwitz, 1902–1903. The Getty Research Institute, 2016.PR.34

A woodcut shows several women huddling together to protect children standing among them. Their bodies are rendered in black against a light background.

The Mothers, Käthe Kollwitz, 1921–1922. The Getty Research Institute, 2016.PR.34

A print executed in rich degrees of aquatint sets the mood for an eerie night scene. Surrounded by corpses, a woman hunches in the middle of a field to shine light on a dead man's face.

Battlefield, Käthe Kollwitz, 1907. The Getty Research Institute, 2016.PR.34. © 2019 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

A lithograph printed in rich black ink depicts a woman sitting with her head in her hands looking down at her sick child.

Need, Käthe Kollwitz, 1893–1897. The Getty Research Institute, 2016.PR.34

A black-and-white woodcut shows a cloaked skeleton in the upper left corner holding a whip in its hands. In the lower section, a woman seen from the side flees with her children.

Hunger, Käthe Kollwitz, 1925. The Getty Research Institute, 2016.PR.34. © 2019 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

A drawing depicts four agonized faces in white gouache set against a black background.

The People, Käthe Kollwitz, ca. 1923. The Getty Research Institute, 2016.PR.34. Gift of Dr. Richard A. Simms in honor of Hildegard Bachert. © 2019 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

A woodcut shows several women huddling together to protect children standing among them. Their bodies are rendered in black against a light background.
A print executed in rich degrees of aquatint sets the mood for an eerie night scene. Surrounded by corpses, a woman hunches in the middle of a field to shine light on a dead man's face.
A lithograph printed in rich black ink depicts a woman sitting with her head in her hands looking down at her sick child.
A black-and-white woodcut shows a cloaked skeleton in the upper left corner holding a whip in its hands. In the lower section, a woman seen from the side flees with her children.
A drawing depicts four agonized faces in white gouache set against a black background.
A graphite drawing on darkened blue-green laid paper depicts a woman with her arms lifted above her head and her back turned to the viewer.
A print shows a woman from the back standing in a field. Her uplifted arms prompt the crowd of peasants in front of her to surge forward.
A woodcut shows several women huddling together to protect children standing among them. Their bodies are rendered in black against a light background.
A print executed in rich degrees of aquatint sets the mood for an eerie night scene. Surrounded by corpses, a woman hunches in the middle of a field to shine light on a dead man's face.
A lithograph printed in rich black ink depicts a woman sitting with her head in her hands looking down at her sick child.
A black-and-white woodcut shows a cloaked skeleton in the upper left corner holding a whip in its hands. In the lower section, a woman seen from the side flees with her children.
A drawing depicts four agonized faces in white gouache set against a black background.
A graphite drawing on darkened blue-green laid paper depicts a woman with her arms lifted above her head and her back turned to the viewer.
A print shows a woman from the back standing in a field. Her uplifted arms prompt the crowd of peasants in front of her to surge forward.
A woodcut shows several women huddling together to protect children standing among them. Their bodies are rendered in black against a light background.
A print executed in rich degrees of aquatint sets the mood for an eerie night scene. Surrounded by corpses, a woman hunches in the middle of a field to shine light on a dead man's face.
A lithograph printed in rich black ink depicts a woman sitting with her head in her hands looking down at her sick child.
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The Black Anna, Käthe Kollwitz, 1903. The Getty Research Institute, 2016.PR.34. © 2019 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

RELATED EVENTS

Iconic Intelligence: How Käthe Kollwitz Made Pictures Talk

Tuesday, January 28, 2020
Museum Lecture Hall, Getty Center

Käthe Kollwitz's Sharpening the Scythe and the Spark of Revolutionary Consciousness

Thursday, March 12, 2020
Postponed

RELATED PUBLICATION

Käthe Kollwitz: Prints, Process, Politics

Edited by Louis Marchesano

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December 5, 2019–March 26, 2020
(Note: no tours on December 24, 26, or 31, 2019, or January 2, 2020)

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