Käthe Kollwitz, “Woman with Lowered Head”, 1905

Käthe Kollwitz (aka [née] Käthe Schmidt) (1867–1945)

“Woman with Lowered Head”, (aka “Woman with Bent Head” [The MET title]. “Gesenkter Frauenkopf”), 1905, published posthumously by Johanna and Bernhard von der Becke (fl.1958–1972) with the Von der Becke's two-line blindstamp: “A.V.D.BECKE/ MUENCHEN22” at the lower-right corner of the impression (see Iris Schmeisser’s account of the publication history of Kollwitz’s prints offered by the MOMA: https://www.moma.org/s/ge/collection_ge/artist/artist_id-20099_role-3_thumbs.html).

Soft-ground etching with drypoint and roulette printed in umber/brown ink on heavy wove cream paper with full margins.

Size: (sheet) 52.6 x 44 cm: (plate) 38 x 31.8 cm; (image borderline); 36.1 x 30.3 cm.

State v (of v)

Klipstein 77 (August Klipstein 1955, “Käthe Kollwitz, Verzeichnis des graphischen Werkes”, Bern, Klipstein & Co, pp. 101–102, cat. no. 77 Vb); Knesebeck 94 (Alexandra von dem Knesebeck 2001, “Käthe Kollwitz, Werkverzeichnis der Graphik”, Bern, Kornfeld).

Condition: a richly inked, strong and well-printed impression with generously wide margins as published. The sheet is an almost pristine condition (it has never been framed) with no tears, holes, folds, stains, foxing or signs of handling.

I am selling this simply superb etching exemplifying Kollwitz’s extraordinary ability to add a psychological dimension to her portrayed figures—note, for instance, the gritty textures along the image borderline and how they help to give expressive meaning to the woman’s face, in the sense that the textural “grit” (for want of a better word) visually “talks to” the inner strength of this life-hardened woman—for the total cost of AU$774 (currently US$596.76/EUR492.93/GBP422.74 at the time of this listing) including Express Mail (EMS) postage and handling to anywhere in the world, but not (of course) any import duties/taxes imposed by some countries. Note that payment is in Australian dollars (AU$774) as this is my currency.

If you are interested in purchasing this large and very beautiful etching, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.