Artwork
Selbstbildnis (Self-Portrait)
Selbstbildnis (Self-Portrait) 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:lower right in graphite: Lovis Corinth; lower left edge in graphite by unknown hand: Lovis Corinth "Selbstportrat"; lower right edge in graphite by unknown hand: M.481; lower center verso in graphite by unknown hand: E94
- Markings
- Marked:stamped lower left in purple ink: [leaves in a circle]; stamped center verso in black ink: R
About this work
Overview
Lovis Corinth’s 1920 self‑portrait is executed as a soft‑ground etching rendered entirely in black. The print presents the artist’s aged, bald visage framed by a dark hat, his thick beard and hands emerging from the lower edge. The image’s blurred, tactile quality reflects Corinth’s late‑period interest in direct, expressive printmaking.
Subject & Meaning
The work is a straightforward portrait of Corinth himself, capturing the physical signs of age and the aftermath of his 1911 stroke. The stark, unembellished rendering emphasizes the artist’s personal confrontation with his own mortality and altered perception, offering a candid visual autobiography.
Technique & Style
Employing soft‑ground etching, Corinth pressed a pliable ground onto the plate before incising lines with a sharp tool. This method produces uneven, textured strokes that appear almost scratched into the paper, lending the image a raw, immediate feel that aligns with his turn toward expressionist aesthetics.
History & Provenance
Corinth, trained in Paris and Munich, later headed the Berlin Secession. After his stroke, his work shifted from impressionistic lightness to a more forceful expressionism, a transition evident in this print. The piece was created toward the end of his career, shortly before his death in 1925.
Context
The self‑portrait emerges from a period when German artists were exploring new print techniques to convey psychological depth. Corinth’s adoption of soft‑ground etching mirrors broader trends in early‑20th‑century art that favored direct, gestural marks over polished finishes.
Legacy
Corinth’s self‑portrait exemplifies his synthesis of impressionist training and expressionist vigor, influencing subsequent German printmakers who sought to merge technical experimentation with personal narrative.
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.
