Collection Publications: Klinger to Kollwitz Labels1

Barlach was truly a Doppelbegabte, an artist with multiple talents. In addition to his expertise in the graphic arts, he was a gifted sculptor, poet, novelist, and playwright. Barlach's early career, however, was wrought with struggle and disappointment. A 1919 letter to his cousin reveals that Barlach's decision to take up the woodcut technique was related specifically to the despair brought about by World War I: "As the misfortune befell in November (1918), I threw myself into the woodcut. It is a technique that provokes one to confession, to the unmistakable statement of what one finally means. I have finished a large number of woodcuts that deal with all the distress of the times." The barren landscapes, casualties, and misery he chose to depict in these woodcuts demonstrate a radical shift from the overtly patriotic sculptures and lithographs he completed during the early years of the war.

Barlach achieved considerable success after World War I and produced many memorials. In 1937 however, his work was considered by the Nazi's to be "degenerate," and he was forbidden to publish his writings or exhibit his art.