The Parents 1919

Kathe Kollwitz made this drawing of two parents with what looks like charcoal or a very soft pencil. It's a study in light and dark, a real chiaroscuro vibe, where the process feels raw and direct. Look at the woman’s hands, clasped together. The lines are almost frantic, like she’s trying to capture not just the form, but also the worry etched into their very posture. You can almost feel the texture of the paper through the charcoal, and the way she’s layered the marks gives a sense of weight, of burden. The lack of precise detail allows the viewer to project their own emotions, their own experiences of caregiving, onto the image. Kollwitz reminds me of Paula Modersohn-Becker, another German artist who knew a thing or two about representing the human condition. Both artists, in their own way, invite us to contemplate the messy, unresolved aspects of life, leaving plenty of room for our own interpretations in the mix.