Hunger

About this artwork

beeld: hoogte 225 mm x breedte 225 mm

Art Historical Context

Käthe Kollwitz's *Hunger* (1923) is a poignant work on paper, measuring a intimate 225 x 225 mm. Created during the Weimar Republic's turbulent years, this square-format piece exemplifies Kollwitz's mastery of Expressionism, a movement she helped define through her raw, empathetic depictions of human suffering. As a German artist deeply committed to social justice, Kollwitz drew from her own experiences of loss—including the death of her son in World War I—to portray the plight of the working class. The title *Hunger* evokes the dire economic crises of 1923, marked by hyperinflation and wides...

About the Artist

Käthe Kollwitz

Käthe Kollwitz (1867–1945) was a German artist whose powerful images of poverty, war, and maternal grief established her as the foremost practitioner of socially engaged art in early 20th-century Europe. Working primarily in printmaking—including etching, lithography, and woodcut—as well as drawing and sculpture, Kollwitz created works of raw emotional power that gave voice to the suffering of wor...