Artwork
Gattin des Künstlers (Wife of the Artist)
Gattin des Künstlers (Wife of the Artist) is an ink print by Lovis Corinth. It dates from 1909 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:upper left in plate: LC.; lower right in graphite: Lovis Corinth; lower left verso in graphite by unknown hand: 6 Bl.16 Schw. 36
About this work
Overview
Gattin des Künstlers (Wife of the Artist) is a 1909 drypoint print on wove paper by Lovis Corinth, a German artist known for blending impressionism and expressionism.
Subject & Meaning
The print portrays Charlotte Berend-Corinth, the artist's wife, in a contemplative state. Her downward gaze and clasped hands convey quiet introspection, emphasized by subtle shading and a minimalist background.
Technique & Style
Executed in drypoint, the work showcases Corinth's ability to achieve nuanced detail and expressive depth through fine lines and shading, characteristic of his mature style.
History & Provenance
Created in 1909, during Corinth's association with the Berlin Secession, which he later led. The work is one of several portraits of his wife, reflecting their marital connection.
Context
Reflecting Corinth's Paris and Munich training, the piece balances impressionist attention to light and shadow with expressive, personal interpretation, typical of the transition towards early 20th-century European modernism.
Legacy
As part of Corinth's oeuvre, Gattin des Künstlers contributes to the artist's reputation for capturing intimate, psychologically nuanced portraits of loved ones, influencing subsequent generations of European printmakers and portraitists.
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.
