Kathe Kollwitz is one of my favourite artists.
Her sympathetic portrayals of motherhood are tinged with great melancholy: she lost her son in the First World War, and her art was a necessary outlet for her pain. Few artists have so lovingly and reverently tied the twin themes of motherhood and death together with such gentle, aching beauty.
As she approached her own death, she grew reflective in her art, as though picturing her death before the event. In doing so, she created some of the most emotional art ever witnessed by mankind.
My favourite piece by her is "Death as an old friend." This sketch shows a dying man greeting death with sheer joy, terrified joy, one might say. The terror at the end of life tempered by the realization that, after all, death is not something of a mystery, but someone we've known all along...an old friend.
What do you think is the guise of death, and how does this fit in with your faith?
Your considerate answers are most appreciated.
2007-08-18
20:07:07
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9 answers
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asked by
Jack B, sinistral
5
in
Religion & Spirituality