Couple in Love Embracing

On this day in 1867, Käthe Kollwitz, a German artist active in painting, printmaking, and sculpture, was born. She is best known for her powerful series portraying the harsh realities of poverty, hunger, and war experienced by the working class. Although her early work was grounded in Realism, it later became more closely associated with Expressionism. Kollwitz was also a trailblazer: she became the first woman elected to the Prussian Academy of Arts and the first to be granted the title of honorary professor.

This drawing depicts a couple locked in an intimate, harmonious embrace. They appear to dissolve into a single, unified form. Although the face of the figure in the background is concealed—as in several of the artist’s other works—the woman’s expression shows tenderness and affection. 

This masterpiece is featured in our Women Artists vol.2: 50 Postcards Set. 

P.S. Learn more about the life and art of Kollwitz—one of Germany’s greatest artists!