10 Interesting Kathe Kollwitz Facts

If you like learning about the life of the German printmaker, painter and sculptor, you need to read the whole Kathe Kollwitz facts. Her works are very interesting because they focus on the tragedy of war and human condition. She liked depicting the condition of the people in 20th century. Read the whole facts below for more information.

Kathe Kollwitz Facts 1: style of works

At first, Kathe chose the naturalism style to depict her works. But then she changed her style into the expressionistic style. Find out another artist in Kate Malone facts.

Kathe Kollwitz Facts 2: themes

There are several themes used by Kathe to depict her works.  She conveyed the ideas by using the woodcut, etching and drawing. She was very touched by the life of the less fortune people. Through her works, she wanted to help the people in the war, hunger and poverty.

Kathe Kollwitz Drawing

Kathe Kollwitz Facts 3: place of birth

Let’s talk about Kathe’s place of birth. She was born in Königsberg. The city now is called Kaliningrad, Russia. She was born with the name Käthe Schmidt.

Kathe Kollwitz Facts 4: family life

Kathe was the daughter of a radical social democrat named Karl Schmidt. Her mother was the daughter of a Lutheran pastor, Katherina Schmidt. She was the fifth child in the family.

Kathe Kollwitz Facts

Kathe Kollwitz Facts 5: grandfather

Her maternal grandfather influenced her education and way of thinking a lot. Her grandfather taught her more about socialism and religion.

Kathe Kollwitz Facts 6: talents

Her talent as an artist was seen when she was a kid. Her father realized her talent and supported it. He wanted her to have drawing lesson. At that time, Kathe was 12 years old.

Kathe Kollwitz Painting

Kathe Kollwitz Facts 7: drawing

When she was 16 years old, she made various kinds of drawing. She created the painting of peasants, working people and sailors that she saw when she visited the office of her father.

Kathe Kollwitz Facts 8: education

To study and increase her art skill, she went to Berlin and enrolled in an art school. Kathe then spent some time with a friend of the artist Max Klinger, Karl Stauffer-Bern. Klinger style to create thing was the biggest inspiration of Kathe to make art.

Kathe Kollwitz Pic

Kathe Kollwitz Facts 9: Karl Kollwitz

Karl Kollwitz was the fiancé of Kathe when she was only 17 years old. Both married in 1891. His husband was a doctor. Both lived in a large apartment in Berlin. During the World War II, the apartment was destroyed.

Kathe Kollwitz Facts 10: anxiety

Many people believed that Kathe suffered from anxiety and a childhood neurological disorder.   Her mind was affected a lot by the death of her siblings.

Kathe Kollwitz

In 1960s, Kathe Kollwitz Prize was created based on her name. There are two museums used to exhibit her works. They are in Cologne and Berlin. Are you fascinated with facts about Kathe Kollwitz?