Scene from Germinal, 1893

About the Work

Émile Zola’s novel "Germinal", set in the coalmining milieu, inspired Kollwitz early on. In this atmospherically dense etching we join the protagonist Catherine in gazing at her two brawling suitors. The room, elongated in stage-like manner and claustrophobically low-ceilinged, mirrors Zola’s description of the confined mining shafts.