Self-Portrait with Hand on Forehead (Selbstbildnis mit der Hand an der Stirn)

Art Historical Context

Käthe Kollwitz created this intimate self-portrait 1910 using etching and drypoint, techniques that allow for precise, textured lines and rich tonal contrasts in black-brown ink. The small plate size—just 15.5 by 13.6 centimeters—draws the viewer close, emphasizing the quiet gesture of the artist’s hand resting on her forehead. Printed on a much larger sheet, the work balances delicate detail with a sense of thoughtful space around the figure. Kollwitz, a German artist deeply engaged with social themes, often turned to printmaking to explore human emotion and inner life. Here, the self-portrait captures a moment of introspection during the early years of the twentieth century, a time of growing political and social tension in Europe. The drypoint process, which creates soft, velvety burrs along scratched lines, lends the image an expressive warmth and immediacy that suits her direct, empathetic approach. Now part of the Rosenwald Collection at the National Gallery of Art, this print exemplifies Kollwitz’s mastery of graphic media and her ability to convey personal reflection through modest yet powerful means.

About the Artist

Käthe Kollwitz · 1867–1945

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...