Käthe Kollwitz

Illuminated by an overhead gas light, the artist turns to stare beyond the viewer. The space around her is swallowed up by densely textured darkness, achieved through an energetic combination of aquatint and spit bite (the application of acid on an uncoated plate).

Greatly inspired by the work of Max Klinger, Kollwitz created an experimental body of prints focusing on the themes of war, death, the suffering of working people, motherhood, and identity. She frequently returned to intimate self-portraits, allowing her face and hands to convey mood and expression.

Printed self-portraits were a mainstay of Kollwitz’s artistic practice. In this night scene, completed when she was twenty-six, she experimented with aquatint for only the second time, employing it for the dark, textured areas surrounding her face and body. Although the aquatint was likely not intended to be so deeply bitten, its rich surface contributes to the dramatic quality of the print.