Painterly transformations of feminine identity from a group of German Expressionists

Kathe Kollwitz (1867–1945), Paula Modersohn-Becker (1876–1907), Gabriele Munter (1877–1962) and Marianne Werefkin (1860–1938) are among the exceptional artists associated with the emergence of Expressionism in Germany in the early decades of the 20th century. Each challenged prevailing ideals of feminine identity at a time of great societal change. As women, they were expected to marry and raise a family