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Kollwitz meets colleagues - Karl Schmidt-Rottluff
The Brücke artist at the Kollwitz Museum
Mitarbeiter bei der Hängung
© Käthe-Kollwitz-Museum Berlin
INTERVENTION in the permanent exhibition
The graphic artist and painter Karl Schmidt-Rottluff
Karl Schmidt-Rottluff is one of the outstanding representatives of German Expressionism and was a member of the artists' association “Die Brücke”, which rebelled against the established representatives of the Berlin Secession. The First World War, in which the artist was forced to take part in Russia from 1915, led him to create a series of woodcuts with religious motifs in which he processed his war experiences. In a letter to his collector friend Ernst Beyersdorf, he wrote: ‘I am now under great pressure to create something as strong as possible - the war has really swept away everything from the past - everything seems dull to me (...)’
Ten woodcuts by the artist from the years 1914 - 1918 are juxtaposed with the cycle ‘War’ by Käthe Kollwitz, which she also created using the woodcut technique. The outbreak of war and its consequences had a strong impact on both artists. An artistic confrontation was unavoidable, but both artists resisted the impulse to depict acts of war. Käthe Kollwitz was concerned with the effects of the war on the bereaved families. Schmidt-Rottluff's portfolio does not follow any recognisable theme at all, but places light-hearted motifs next to thoughtful depictions. The sheets were created by Schmidt-Rottluff for an exhibition published by the gallery owner I. B. Neumann in 1919.
Käthe Kollwitz' initial reticence towards the Expressionists had faded after the First World War, especially after she had begun using the woodcut technique herself. She noted in her diary on 31 March 1920: "First jury day. Kolbe, Mosson, Scheibe, Schmidt-Rottluff, Pechstein, Heckel. Very good line-up. Lots of interesting and good works. Mostly ultra-modern. But my eyes have become accustomed, I can keep up with many things that I wouldn't have understood before."
In 1931, Schmidt-Rottluff became a member of the Prussian Academy of Arts, from which he was forced to resign in 1933 due to National Socialist art policy. His art was defamed as ‘degenerate’ and his works were removed from German museums. Many of his works were shown at the 1937 Degenerate Art exhibition in Munich. In April 1941, he was expelled from the Reich Chamber of Fine Arts, which was tantamount to a professional ban. His Berlin studio and flat were destroyed by a bomb in autumn 1943.
Schmidt-Rottluff's monochrome woodcuts are being presented by the Käthe Kollwitz Museum for the first time as part of this exhibition intervention. We would like to thank the Bernd Schultz Foundation in memory of Hans Pels-Leusden for this latest permanent loan. Bernd Schultz and museum director Dr Josephine Gabler are continuing the intention of our museum founder Hans Pels-Leusden to place the work of Käthe Kollwitz in relation to her contemporaries with this exhibition.
The INTERVENTION Karl Schmidt-Rottluff runs from 19 October 2024 to January 2025.
The graphic artist and painter Karl Schmidt-Rottluff
Karl Schmidt-Rottluff is one of the outstanding representatives of German Expressionism and was a member of the artists' association “Die Brücke”, which rebelled against the established representatives of the Berlin Secession. The First World War, in which the artist was forced to take part in Russia from 1915, led him to create a series of woodcuts with religious motifs in which he processed his war experiences. In a letter to his collector friend Ernst Beyersdorf, he wrote: ‘I am now under great pressure to create something as strong as possible - the war has really swept away everything from the past - everything seems dull to me (...)’
Ten woodcuts by the artist from the years 1914 - 1918 are juxtaposed with the cycle ‘War’ by Käthe Kollwitz, which she also created using the woodcut technique. The outbreak of war and its consequences had a strong impact on both artists. An artistic confrontation was unavoidable, but both artists resisted the impulse to depict acts of war. Käthe Kollwitz was concerned with the effects of the war on the bereaved families. Schmidt-Rottluff's portfolio does not follow any recognisable theme at all, but places light-hearted motifs next to thoughtful depictions. The sheets were created by Schmidt-Rottluff for an exhibition published by the gallery owner I. B. Neumann in 1919.
Käthe Kollwitz' initial reticence towards the Expressionists had faded after the First World War, especially after she had begun using the woodcut technique herself. She noted in her diary on 31 March 1920: "First jury day. Kolbe, Mosson, Scheibe, Schmidt-Rottluff, Pechstein, Heckel. Very good line-up. Lots of interesting and good works. Mostly ultra-modern. But my eyes have become accustomed, I can keep up with many things that I wouldn't have understood before."
In 1931, Schmidt-Rottluff became a member of the Prussian Academy of Arts, from which he was forced to resign in 1933 due to National Socialist art policy. His art was defamed as ‘degenerate’ and his works were removed from German museums. Many of his works were shown at the 1937 Degenerate Art exhibition in Munich. In April 1941, he was expelled from the Reich Chamber of Fine Arts, which was tantamount to a professional ban. His Berlin studio and flat were destroyed by a bomb in autumn 1943.
Schmidt-Rottluff's monochrome woodcuts are being presented by the Käthe Kollwitz Museum for the first time as part of this exhibition intervention. We would like to thank the Bernd Schultz Foundation in memory of Hans Pels-Leusden for this latest permanent loan. Bernd Schultz and museum director Dr Josephine Gabler are continuing the intention of our museum founder Hans Pels-Leusden to place the work of Käthe Kollwitz in relation to her contemporaries with this exhibition.
The INTERVENTION Karl Schmidt-Rottluff runs from 19 October 2024 to January 2025.
Runtime: Sat, 19/10/2024 to Sun, 12/01/2025
Price info: The following are entitled to free admission upon presentation of the relevant proof of eligibility: Children and young people under the age of 18, holders of an entitlement certificate (formerly berlinpass), members of the Association of Berlin City Guides, representatives of the press, members of ICOM
Price: €7.00
Reduced price: €4.00
Reduced price info: The following are entitled to reduced admission upon presentation of the relevant proof: Schoolchildren aged 18 and over, students and trainees, federal volunteers, groups of 12 or more, members of the Museumsbund, members of the Bundesverband, Bildender Künstler, members of the Verband deutscher Kunsthistoriker, members of the Theatergemeinde Berlin, members of the Kulturvolk Berlin, holders of a severely disabled pass, holders of the artCard, holders of the Berliner Ehrenamtskarte (Berlin Volunteer Card).
Price: €7.00
Reduced price: €4.00
Reduced price info: The following are entitled to reduced admission upon presentation of the relevant proof: Schoolchildren aged 18 and over, students and trainees, federal volunteers, groups of 12 or more, members of the Museumsbund, members of the Bundesverband, Bildender Künstler, members of the Verband deutscher Kunsthistoriker, members of the Theatergemeinde Berlin, members of the Kulturvolk Berlin, holders of a severely disabled pass, holders of the artCard, holders of the Berliner Ehrenamtskarte (Berlin Volunteer Card).
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