The Parents (Die Eltern)

Art Historical Context

Käthe Kollwitz'sThe Parents (Die Eltern)*, created between 1922 and 1923, is a poignant woodcut from her seminal series *War (Krieg)*, which reflects the profound grief of World War I's aftermath. Kollwitz, a leading German Expressionist, drew from personal tragedy—her son Peter was killed in 1914—to capture the universal anguish of bereaved parents. Rendered in stark black and white, the image shows a mother and father huddled in despair, their forms merging into a monumental, almost sculptural mass that embodies collective mourning in post-war Weimar Germany, a time of economic ruin and social upheaval. As a woodcut, the work exemplifies Kollwitz's mastery of this labor-intensive relief printing technique, where bold, carved lines create dramatic contrasts and textures. Woodcuts allowed her to produce affordable editions, aligning with her commitment to art for the working class, while the medium's raw power amplified the emotional intensity of Expressionism—distorted figures and simplified forms conveying raw human suffering over realism. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's Rosenwald Collection, *The Parents* remains a powerful anti-war statement, influencing later social realist art. Its unflinching portrayal of loss invites visitors to confront the enduring human cost of conflict, making it a timeless highlight in prints and drawings portfolios.

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...