Pregnant woman with folded hands 1899

This is Käthe Kollwitz's etching "Pregnant Woman with Folded Hands." The composition is strikingly divided; we see the subject, a pregnant woman, bisected by light and shadow. The sharp contrast emphasizes the texture of the etching, from the delicate lines of the background to the denser shading that models the woman's form. Kollwitz uses this formal division to create a dialogue between visibility and concealment, with the woman's face half-illuminated, half-obscured. The hands, tightly clasped, rest at the center of the image, suggesting both vulnerability and resilience. Kollwitz's technical skill in etching here reflects a broader engagement with themes of social justice and human suffering. This contrast of light and shadow serves not merely as a visual element but as a metaphor for the pregnant woman's experience, divided between hope and the unknown.