Since discovering Kaethe Kollwitz about 30 years ago I've always been struck by her portrayal of the profound, uncompromising, total, and absolutely unselfish love mothers can have for their children, and the basic dignity inherent in every human being, especially the humble and unsophisticated. Much of what I learned from her has directly shaped my relationships with my wife and children, i.e., I was prepared in some important ways for becoming a husband & father through exposure to her work.
If you aren't familiar with Kaethe Kollwitz, here's a bit on her from Wiki:
Käthe Schmidt Kollwitz was a German painter, printmaker, and sculptor whose work offered an eloquent and often searing account of the human condition in the first half of the 20th century. Her empathy for the less fortunate embraced the victims of poverty, hunger, and war.