art history

Memorial Sheet for Karl Liebknecht. Käthe Kollwitz. 1919–1920 C.E. Woodcut. In the political turmoil after the First World War, many artists turned to making prints instead of paintings. The ability to produce multiple copies of the same image made printmaking an ideal medium for spreading political statements.  German artist Käthe Kollwitz worked almost exclusively in this medium and became known for her prints that celebrated the plight of the working-class. This work, In Memoriam Karl Liebknecht was created in 1920 in response to the assassination of Communist leader Karl Liebknecht during an uprising of 1919. Germany went through a period of social and political upheaval after WWI. The Socialists and Communists both wanted to eliminate Capitalism and establish communal control over the means of production, but while the Socialists believed that the best way to achieve that goal was to work step by step from within the Capitalist structure, the Communists called for...

Self Portrait as a Soldier . Ernst Ludwig Kirchner. 1915 C.E. Oil on canvas. A masterpiece of psychological drama.  The painting shows Kirchner dressed in a uniform; he is standing in his studio with an amputated, bloody arm and a nude model behind him. It is in this contrast between the artist’s clothing and studio space that we can read a complicated coming of age for an idealistic young artist.  Group of artists from Germany; the Brücke artists set about creating an entirely new way of being artists; created art that looked to the past and the future at once; influence on the Die Brücke artists was so-called “primitive” art (non-western, Asian and African cultures); there was also interest in the “folk art” of Europe.  This art was perceived to be more honest and direct.  It is important to note that Germany remained a major colonial power in Africa through the First World War; The Brücke artists were inspired to adopt the “natural” state that they p...