Modern Art Sculpture - Mother with Child - Käthe Kollwitz

Mother with Child – Profound Bronze Sculpture - Signed Käthe Kollwitz

Born on July 8, 1867, in Königsberg, Prussia, Käthe Kollwitz grew up in an era of social upheaval and deep class divisions. As the daughter of a doctor who treated the poor, she witnessed first-hand the suffering of the working class. Her education at the Berlin School of Art and later at the Académie Colarossi in Paris honed her extraordinary facility for drawing, yet it was her empathy—and her refusal to turn away from human pain—that fueled her career. From her earliest etchings to her final sculptures, Kollwitz became a singular voice speaking for those who could not speak for themselves.

A 1930s Bronze Born of Loss and Hope

The Mother with Child was conceived and modeled in Kollwitz’s Berlin studio in 1935, a time when Europe teetered on the brink of war. The sculpture bears the artist’s discreet signature, K. Kollwitz, at its base. Though petite in scale, this modern art sculpture carries the weight of universal grief and unbreakable maternal devotion, offering its viewers a moment of solace amid the darkest of times.

The Poetics of Form and Feeling

In this bronze, we see no exaggerated drama—only the simple, pure gesture of a mother cradling her infant. The child nestles against her shoulder, his tiny head pressed into the curve of her neck. Her arms encircle him protectively, forming a circle of safety and love. Yet the rough-hewn surface of their garments, the visible tool marks on the mother’s sleeves, speak of struggle and endurance. Kollwitz intentionally left these textures raw, as though the very process of carving and casting bore witness to human toil and the redemptive power of compassion.

Käthe Kollwitz’s Lifelong Compassion

Throughout her life, Käthe Kollwitz channeled personal tragedy into her art: the loss of her son Peter in World War I; the exile of her grandson in the Nazi era; the relentless poverty she encountered in Berlin’s slums. These experiences deepened her empathy and galvanized her commitment to portraying motherhood not as a sentiment but as a force of hope. In Mother with Child, we see the culmination of decades spent refining her vision of care, sacrifice, and the fragile continuity of life.

Bronze as Witness to Humanity

Kollwitz’s choice of bronze—a metal both enduring and malleable—embodies her belief that art must both weather time and bear the trace of the human hand. The warm patina of this Mother with Child shifts under changing light, much like a living presence. Darker shadows in the recesses emphasize the protective fold of her cloak, while subtle highlights on the child’s cheek and the mother’s brow bring their quiet world into sharp relief. In this tension of light and dark, we sense the dual realities of suffering and shelter.

A Sculpture That Speaks Across Generations

While many of Käthe Kollwitz Art works are known through powerful prints and drawings, her sculptures offer a uniquely intimate encounter. Viewers can circle this Mother with Child, discovering new subtleties from each angle: the gentle curve of the mother’s spine, the delicate clutch of the child’s hand, the steadfast calm in her bowed face. In every line and plane, the sculpture invites us to reflect on our shared need for care, empathy, and human connection.

Legacy of an Unwavering Humanist

Kollwitz’s artistic journey ended with her passing on April 22, 1945, in Moritzburg, Saxony—just days before the end of World War II. Yet her legacy endures in museums, memorials, and private collections worldwide. This Mother with Child, cast in her final decade, stands as one of the last testaments to her unwavering belief that art must serve humanity. It is both a personal elegy and a universal hymn: to a mother’s love, to the sanctity of life, and to the resilience of the human spirit.

Enduring Strength in Bronze

Mother with Child remains more than a sculpture; it is a beacon of hope in bronze, a reminder that even amid adversity, the bond between parent and child sustains us. Through the eloquence of Käthe Kollwitz sculpture, we are invited to witness the deepest currents of grief and compassion—and to find, within that witness, the enduring strength of shared humanity.

Height: 31 cm
Width: 23 cm
Depth: 15 cm
Weight: 6,9 kg
100% Bronze