Auf dem Lande (In the Country)

Corinth employed drypoint, scratching directly into a metal plate to produce lines with a soft, burr-like texture. The resulting image has a sketchlike urgency, with uneven, overlapping strokes that suggest movement and impermanence. The absence of fine detail and the emphasis on rhythmic mark-making reflect his move away from academic precision toward a more expressive, tactile approach.

The print was made in 1912, during a period of intense personal and artistic transformation for Corinth following his stroke. While specific early ownership records are not widely documented, the work is part of a broader body of prints from this era that demonstrate his renewed engagement with printmaking as a vehicle for emotional expression rather than reproduction.

In early 20th-century Germany, artists were redefining representation in response to industrialization and psychological inquiry. Corinth’s work, though rooted in impressionist observation, increasingly aligned with emerging expressionist concerns—prioritizing inner experience over external accuracy. This print sits at that crossroads, capturing rural life with a rawness that resonates with contemporaries like Kollwitz and Nolde.

The print exemplifies Corinth’s post-stroke evolution, influencing later generations of German expressionist printmakers who valued directness and emotional resonance over technical polish. Its unidealized depiction of ordinary life and its tactile, hand-made quality helped redefine the potential of print as a medium for personal, rather than merely illustrative, expression.