Portrait of Käthe Kollwitz Possibly 1925 - 1935

Hugo Erfurth made this portrait of Käthe Kollwitz with photography, a medium that shares some common ground with printmaking, Kollwitz’s preferred medium. What strikes me is the texture, which is almost tactile. The netting of the dress creates a field of tiny squares, like a pointillist painting. The lighting catches each of these points, forming a visual map of tone and shadow. This reminds me of the mezzotint process that Kollwitz also practiced. The positioning of the figure, caught mid-motion, gives the work a dynamic quality, as if the image is alive and breathing. The soft sepia tones add warmth and nostalgia. The details of the dress are reminiscent of Gustav Klimt's Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I. Both works capture the sitter through a shimmering, decorative lens that is sensuous and ornamental.