Seed Grain Shall Not Be Milled

Seed Grain Shall Not Be Milled

<< >>
Usage conditions apply
Downloads
Description
Lithograph by Kaethe Kollwitz (1867-1945), pencil signed 'Kollwitz' at lower R. The title, Saatfrüchte Sollen Nicht Vermahlen Werden, is translated from German as "Seed Grain Shall Not Be Milled" or as "Grain for Sowing Shall Not Be Milled." It is a quotation from Goethe that Kollwitz originally used in a 1919 open letter protesting the continuation of World War I. This print, made in 1942, is a response to the Nazi edict that children were to be recruited for the German army.
The lithograph is Kollwitz's last print, one of three known copies of this edition. The lithographic stone was destroyed in the 1943 bombing of Berlin, which partially damaged Kollwitz's studio. Kollwitz died two years later, days before the end of the war she so strongly opposed.
Location
Currently not on view
Object Name
print
lithograph
Object Type
Lithograph
Date made
1942
maker
Kollwitz, Kaethe
place made
Germany: Berlin, Berlin
Physical Description
paper (overall material)
ink (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 18 1/2 in x 23 in; 46.99 cm x 58.42 cm
ID Number
GA.22069
catalog number
22069
accession number
265104
subject
Germany
Children
World War II
See more items in
Work and Industry: Graphic Arts
Communications
Art
Data Source
National Museum of American History
Nominate this object for photography.   

Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.

If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.

Note: Comment submission is temporarily unavailable while we make improvements to the site. We apologize for the interruption. If you have a question relating to the museum's collections, please first check our Collections FAQ. If you require a personal response, please use our Contact page.