Käthe Kollwitz
Tower of Mothers
1937/38
Bronze
Käthe Kollwitz Museum Berlin
Even when she created the woodcut The Mothers for her series War, the artist had the idea of also designing the composition as a three-dimensional sculpture. When the signs of another war began to multiply in 1937/38, she translated the image idea into sculpture.
Once again, she arranged the group of mothers with a leading woman in such a way that they confront us – similar to the chorus and the people accusing King Oedipus. We, the viewers, are thus placed in the position of the rulers, who have the power either to attack the children under the protection of their mothers or, on the contrary, to take their side and prevent war.