Portrait of the artist Käthe Kollwitz

This show celebrates the humanity and enduring impact of one of the most influential 20th-century printmakers – Käthe Kollwitz (1867–1945). Notable for the emotional power of her drawing, printmaking and sculpture, the display explores the printed works of the socially-minded German artist through self-portraits and images of the poor and dispossessed.

Kollwitz lived an intensely examined life, which is expressed in her numerous self-portraits, diaries and correspondence. At the core was her work as an artist and a mastery of graphic art which quickly established her reputation first in Germany – and then further afield as her influence spread internationally after the First World War.

Establishing herself in an art world dominated by men, Kollwitz developed a vision centred on women and the working class. Her two great series concerned with social injustice, Ein Weberaufstand (A Weavers’ Revolt) and Bauernkrie (Peasants’ War), demonstrate an ever-present awareness of death, especially a mother’s grief, and finally the theme of war and remembrance powerfully depicted in her magnificent woodcut series Krieg (War), shown here in London for the first time.