Artwork
Totenmaske Liebknechts (Liebknecht's Death Mask)
Totenmaske Liebknechts (Liebknecht's Death Mask) is an ink print by Lovis Corinth. It dates from 1920 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Totenmaske Liebknechts (Liebknecht's Death Mask) is a 1920 lithograph in black by Lovis Corinth, a German painter and printmaker.
Subject & Meaning
The print depicts the death mask of Karl Liebknecht, a socialist leader assassinated in 1919. The image is rendered in profile, with simple features and shading that gives it depth.
Technique & Style
The lithograph is characterized by loose, dark lines and uneven handwritten text below the image. Corinth's style, which evolved from naturalism toward expressionism, is evident in the rough, hurried quality of the work.
History & Provenance
Corinth created the work in 1920, following Liebknecht's assassination the previous year. Corinth's own artistic style was influenced by his training in Paris and Munich, as well as a stroke he suffered in 1911.
Artist & collection
Artist
Lovis Corinth was a German artist and writer whose mature work as a painter and printmaker realized a synthesis of impressionism and expressionism.
