“Death Seizing A Woman,” created in 1934 by the artist Käthe Kollwitz, is a lithographic artwork that belongs to the Expressionism movement and falls under the genre of allegorical painting. The artwork, rendered through Kollwitz’s characteristic stylistic approach, vividly portrays an intense, emotional scene.
In the artwork, a dramatic moment is illustrated, where a woman is being tightly held by a spectral figure representing death. The woman’s expression is one of sheer terror and resistance as she struggles against the inevitable grasp. The bold use of black and white contrasts in the lithography highlights the starkness of the subject matter, emphasizing the emotional tension and existential dread palpable in the scene. The flowing lines and exaggerated forms typical of Expressionism serve to amplify the emotional impact of the artwork, making it a profound commentary on life, death, and human vulnerability.