Bildnis Andreas Weissgaerber (Portrait of Andreas Weissgaerber)

Using drypoint, Corinth scratched directly into a metal plate, creating dense, jagged lines that hold ink and print with a tactile intensity. The rough texture of the laid paper enhances the work’s raw quality, amplifying the sense of spontaneity. Facial features and clothing are rendered with rapid, overlapping strokes, avoiding detail in favor of emotional resonance and physical presence.

Created in the aftermath of World War I, the portrait belongs to a period when Corinth increasingly turned to intimate portraiture and personal subjects. Though specific ownership history is not widely documented, the work is part of a broader body of prints from his Berlin years, many of which entered public and private collections in Germany during the 1920s and 1930s.

In 1919, Corinth was navigating a Germany in political and cultural upheaval. His earlier association with the Berlin Secession had evolved into a more personal artistic language, blending impressionist observation with expressionist energy. This portrait reflects a shift away from academic tradition toward a more visceral, emotionally charged mode of representation common among post-war German artists.

The portrait exemplifies Corinth’s contribution to modern printmaking, demonstrating how drypoint could convey psychological depth through gesture and texture. While less known than his paintings, his graphic works influenced later generations of German artists interested in the expressive potential of line and surface, preserving a raw, humanist approach to portraiture.