In her works, Käthe Kollwitz gives the hands a special significance. She often depicted them excessively large, so that they dominate the motif. Touching, feeling, protecting, demanding, supporting, praying: Touching of various kinds can be found in her depictions. They show security and love, but also herald suffering and danger.
Käthe Kollwitz, Study of Hands, 1891, pen and brush in black ink
The hand has often been used as a motif in the visual arts. Initially it was an anatomical interest in this marvel of nature, followed by the idea that the hand was the tool of the artist’s genius, which could develop into surreal forms. The hand has thus been a popular object of depiction for centuries, although it has been used less frequently as an emotional pictorial element. In Käthe Kollwitz’ work, it became the central motif.
Käthe Kollwitz, Self-portrait with Hand at the Forehead, 1910, etching
Käthe Kollwitz, Praying Young Woman, 1892, etching
Käthe Kollwitz, Uprising, 1899, etching
Käthe Kollwitz, Sharpening the Scythe, sheet 3 from the cycle Peasants’ War, 1905, etching
Love, security, protection, grief, fear – encounters and intimate relationships played an important role in Käthe Kollwitz’ life. Her diary entries often provide us with impressions of how she experienced closeness and distance.
In her works, these emotional experiences are of particular interest to her. This results in emotionally powerful pictorial inventions that reflect a general state of mind independent of a specific experience. The hand is always used as the strongest means of expression, touching gently or demanding powerfully. Emotions such as sadness, resignation and thoughtfulness are conveyed by hands that often cover the face. The artist directs the viewer’s gaze to the motif that is so important to her through the lighting or a disproportionate moulding.
The work of Käthe Kollwitz offers a wealth of expressive possibilities to be discovered. In her paintings, the hands ‘speak’ and tell of great emotions.
Käthe Kollwitz, Mothers, rejected version of the sixth sheet of the series War, 1919, Lithograph
Käthe Kollwitz, The Widow I, sheet 4 of the series War, 1921-22, woodcut
Käthe Kollwitz, Self-portrait, 1921, etching
Käthe Kollwitz, In Memoriam Karl Liebknecht, third, final version, 1920, woodcut
Käthe Kollwitz, Help Russia, Poster without Text, 1921, Lithograph
Käthe Kollwitz, Parents with Child, 1931, Lithograph
Käthe Kollwitz, Call of Death, sheet 8 of the series Death, 1937, Lithograph
Käthe Kollwitz, Saatfrüchte sollen nicht vermahlen werden, Ende 1941, Lithografie
Hands in the Work of Käthe Kollwitz
Desk calendar with 13 motifs for the calendar year 2025
