The artwork titled “The Mothers” was created by artist Kathe Kollwitz in 1919. Executed in the medium of lithography, this piece is associated with the Expressionism movement and falls under the genre of genre painting. Currently, “The Mothers” is housed in the Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW) located in Sydney, Australia.
The artwork depicts a group of mothers surrounding and comforting their children, rendered in a stark and emotive black-and-white lithographic style. The figures are closely huddled together, conveying a sense of unity, protection, and shared hardship. Kollwitz’s use of strong, bold lines and contrasting shadows emphasizes the expressions of anxiety and sorrow on the faces of the mothers and children, encapsulating the era’s turbulence and maternal resilience. The overall composition is both intimate and powerful, capturing the profound emotional burden carried by the figures within the frame.
