A rendering dark in mood of Death embracing a young, emaciated girl. He
actually seems to be cradling her with some tenderness, instead of taking her
in a more forceful way usually associated with the end of life. The image is
reminiscent of something one would see at Auschwitz upon liberation. |
The subject of this work is two figures: A young girl embraced by the
metaphorical death figure. Formal choices are rapid and stark, presenting the
subject matter in a non-divisive, unambiguous manner; clearly Kollwitz is
trying to express her concern for life. Line and value build this achromatic ink wash rendering. Value variation fleshes out some spatial depth as well as detail in this work. A combination of dense values, thick wash strokes and a
relatively stationary pair of subjects create a stable composition.
Line variety is simultaneously restricted and open. All lines are gestural and
overwhelmingly quick. They vary greatly in measure and width. Strokes slow
considerably and give way to detail where centers of attention reside. Values
are narrowly placed in three major increments: light, medium and dense. Not
much value can be found between those three markers. The girl’s face contains the most detail, which is the primary area of focus.
Stroke momentum carries the eye down and to the right, where secondary areas of
less detail are found.
Seemingly built rapidly with deliberate
emotion, this work is a case study in the emotional treatment of a work’s
content and sparse, but appropriate, elemental economy. Overall the image
causes a lengthy pause because of how well it impresses a mood of sorrow and
tragedy in the observer. 
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