Artwork
Death and the Artist (Tod und Künstler)
Death and the Artist (Tod und Künstler) is an ink print by Lovis Corinth. It dates from 1920 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:upper right in plate: Tod & Künstler; lower left in graphite: [undeciphered] Probedrück Nr 3; lower right in graphite: Lovis Corinth
- Markings
- Marked:stamped verso in black ink: R
About this work
Overview
Death and the Artist (Tod und Künstler), a 1920 proof by Lovis Corinth, combines softground etching and drypoint techniques on green wove paper, exemplifying the artist's later stylistic evolution.
Subject & Meaning
The print depicts a contemplative figure, likely self-portraiture, surrounded by skulls, exploring themes of mortality and the artist's introspective confrontation with time.
Technique & Style
Corinth merges impressionist and expressionist elements, characterized by expressive forms and vibrant color, a hallmark of his post-1911 stroke artistic development.
History & Provenance
Created during Corinth's presidency of the Berlin Secession, this work is part of a thematic series from the period focusing on mortality and the passage of time.
Context
Reflecting Corinth's diverse training in Paris and Munich, the piece blends European artistic influences with the somber, introspective mood prevalent in his later Berlin-based work.
Legacy
As a leading figure in the Berlin Secession, Corinth's later works, including this piece, continue to influence explorations of mortality and artistic introspection in modern and contemporary art.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Lovis Corinth (21 July 1858 – 17 July 1925) was a German artist and writer whose mature work as a painter and printmaker realized a synthesis of impressionism and expressionism.
Untitled
Zwei Männliche Studienköpfe—Selbstbildnisse (Sketch of Two Male Heads—Self-Portraits)
Des Künstlers Schwiegermutter (The Artist's Mother-in-Law)
Man in a Room, Self-portrait
Selbstbildnis (Self-Portrait)
Untitled
Selbstbildnis (Self-Portrait)
Männliches Bildnis mit Aufgestütztem Arm (Portrait of a Man Smoking)
Knabe mit Hund (Boy with Dog)
Selbstbildnis 1919 (Self-Portrait 1919)