SCUA recently received the very generous donation of two Kathe Kollwitz etchings from UNCG alumna Betsy Brinson, Ph.D.. March of the Weavers (1893-1897) and The Ploughman (1907) are welcome additions to the collection. Born in East Prussia in July 1867, Kathe Schmidt Kollwitz had an early interest in art. She studied in Munich and Berlin, with Max Klinger as a major influence. As her style developed, she moved toward graphic art, producing numerous drawings, etchings, woodcuts, and lithographs. The grief that she experienced because of the loss of her youngest son in World War I, resulted in prevalent themes of mothers and children, poverty, suffering, death, and the stark reality of war. She experienced further tragedy during World War II, when her grandson was killed in action and her life’s work was lost during a bombing attack. She died shortly before the end of the war. Kollwitz is considered one of the last great German Expressionists.

The Ploughman, etching and aquatint on paper.