SOURCE: "Ernst Barlach," in German Men of Letters, Vol. III: Twelve Literary Essays, edited by Alex Natan, Philadelphia/Dufour Editions, 1964, pp. 55-81.

In the following essay, Keith-Smith surveys Barlach's life and works.

Anyone thinking of writing an essay on Ernst Barlach soon realises that there are a number of special problems to be faced which on the one hand draw him on into the core of Barlach's artistry, and on the other hand continually rebuff him. Barlach's facility to express himself in sculpture, woodcuts, lithographs, dramas and prose works shows how closely these creatures of his are bound to their creator. The detailed care of his style in all media bears witness to a continual grappling with problems of communication. The complexity of details of construction and yet overall simplicity of his work shows he perceived different levels of consciousness both in the individual and in the group...