The artwork titled “Conspiracy,” created by Kathe Kollwitz between 1893 and 1897, belongs to the Expressionism art movement and is characterized as a genre painting. It forms a part of the series “A Weavers’ Revolt.”
In the artwork, the viewer encounters a dimly lit scene steeped in tension and foreboding. Two figures sit at a table, their postures and expressions suggesting secretive conversation or plotting. The stark contrasts of light and shadow, along with the intentional roughness of the lines, enhance the sense of desperation and clandestine activity. The setting appears austere, with minimal furnishings implied by the dark, cross-hatched surroundings, serving as a bleak backdrop to the human drama at the forefront. The artwork conveys a powerful narrative of human struggle and resistance, resonating with the sociopolitical themes prevalent in Kollwitz’s oeuvre.
