Master Class
■ By Jerry Weiss

To read more about Kollwitz’s life and influ- ences, go to www.artistsnetwork.com/ article/kollwitz-life.

Power to Endure
An unblinkingly honest self-portrait
in charcoal on paper reveals an artist’s
bravery and will.

In the drawings of masters, the means of technique are well matched to expressive purposes; in fact, the two are inseparable. This self-portrait by Käthe Kollwitz (1867–1945) displays a sure knowledge of value and a comprehension of the forms of the skull, but this mastery is not an end in itself; rather, it’s a vehicle for the portrayal of a state of reflection. Deep shadow tones—vigorously applied with charcoal—merge the portrait with the background and create an emotional and psychological effect. Kollwitz knew that what is hidden from view, as well as that which is revealed, can have profound implications.

Kollwitz is turned at a three-quarter angle to the mirror and, by extension, to us. A light coming from the upper right illuminates only the side of her head. The front planes of the face are the province of darkness, and the dramatic disposition of light and shadow lends the portrait its primal gravity.

www.artistsmagazine.com ■ November 2008

Between these extremes of value are subtle plane changes within the light, such as the underside of the zygomatic arch, or

cheekbone, composed of delicate halftones. Small diagonal shadow accents mark masses of hair, the corner of the eye, the under-plane of the eye socket, the nasolabial furrow at the corner of the nostril, the under-plane of the nose and the corner of the mouth. These shapes occur at roughly a right angle to the light source, and provide subtle parallel repetitions that underscore the harmonious construction of human anatomy. Their direction also emphasizes the sobriety of Kollwitz’s expression. Not only is her

face half-enveloped in darkness— even the forms within the light seem to be pulled downward in solemn self-appraisal.

The drawing is dated from 1908, when the artist was 41. Kollwitz had just returned home to Germany after having spent a year in Florence studying the art of the Renaissance masters. The following year she would be influenced by the radical work of a younger generation of artists and would further simplify her own powerful expression as a result.

If this drawing represents the
artist at a crossroads in her cre-
ative life, it betrays no uncertainty of
direction. Indeed, this piece is con-
sistent in tone with most of her self-
portraits. A compassionate response
to the inequities of the human con-
dition was innate to Kollwitz, and
an apparent predisposition toward
melancholy predates the
personal tragedies she
would endure through
both World Wars. Her
focus was limited and
intense: She preferred
the side of a piece of
charcoal to a loaded
brush, as if to render
more starkly the strug-
gle for dignity in the face
of hardship. Yet the force
of Kollwitz’s vision was
uncompromising and,
aided by marvelous tech-
nical skill, resulted in a
series of self-portraits
that hold their own with
those of any master who
employed a palette of
color.

 

Käthe Kollwitz, Self-Portrait (1908; charcoal drawing, 16x12) by Käthe Kollwitz

■ Jerry Weiss teaches studio art at Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts in Old Lyme, Connecticut. To see his work, visit www.jerryn weiss.com.

©  Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn; Graphische Sammlung Albertina, Vienna; Photo: Erich Lessing/Art Resource, New York