Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

The German printmaker, draftsman, and sculptor Kathe Kollwitz's images of mothers and children and of protest against social injustice have long been admired by both critics and the public. Kollwitz adhered to a figurative style in the era of abstraction and she depicted socially-engaged subject matter when it was unfashionable. Critics have often focused on those issues and have rarely studied the ways in which the artist manipulated technique and resolved formal problems. This illustrated book redresses this imbalance, portraying Kollwitz as an innovative and virtuosic artist rather than as merely a chronicler of particular themes.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

This monograph, prepared to accompany a striking exhibition, provides important information on the life and art of one of the 20th century's most influential figurative artists. Kollwitz's brutally unadorned social commentary, with particular reference to the atrocities of Nazi Germany, continues to have the power to touch many viewers. The English-language text of this scholarly work is particularly useful, because most publications on Kollwitz are in German--the notable exception being the translated catalogue raisonne by Tom Fecht, Kathe Kollwitz: Works in Color (Schocken, 1988). Prelinger's insightful reappraisal of Kollwitz's aesthetic values and techniques are accompanied by Alessandra Comini's and Hildegard Bachert's fine essays. Even more than the good-quality plates, this book's text and its survey of German and American collections make it essential for research libraries.-- Paula A. Baxter, NYPL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

CHOICE Review

Given Kollwitz's widespread popularity, it is surprising that her art has been the subject of relatively little in-depth analysis. Otto Nagel's K"athe Kollwitz (CH, Apr'72) offers valuable insights from the first-hand perspective of a sensitive friend. More typical of the superficiality with which Kollwitz has been treated is Martha Kearns's K"athe Kollwitz: Woman and Artist (CH, Jul'77), which deals in propaganda and cliches. The publication under review provides a more thorough and complex view of Kollwitz's artistic achievements. Created as a catalog for a major exhibition of the artist's works, the volume contains three well-focused essays, an extensive annotated checklist, and 185 high-quality illustrations (including 57 in color). The illustrations feature 136 of Kollwitz's works, including sculptures and preparatory sketches as well as an impressive selection of her prints. The essays are authoritative, insightful, and readable. Prelinger (fine arts, Georgetown University) served as curator for the exhibition and as catalog author. Her essay, "Kollwitz Reconsidered," effectively compares sketches and finished works to demonstrate the formal and technical complexity of Kollwitz's artistic development. Alessandra Comini (Southern Methodist University) delineates the social context in which the artist's character and art were formed. The final essay by Hildegard Bachert, an expert in modern German art, surveys the response to Kollwitz's work in Germany and the United States. A long-overdue publication on a major modern artist and the best work currently available on K"athe Kollwitz; should be acquired by any library with a commitment to modern art. J. A. Day; University of South Dakota