Artwork
Self-Portrait with Hat and Coat
Self-Portrait with Hat and Coat is an unspecified painting by the German Expressionist artist Lovis Corinth. It dates from 1915 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
- Accession no.
- 1979.14
- Credit line
- Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund
About this work
He used thick, rough brushstrokes to capture his own tired eyes and lined face after a stroke.
This painting shows Lovis Corinth in a dark coat and hat, his face half in shadow. He used thick, rough brushstrokes to capture his own tired eyes and lined face after a stroke. The colors feel heavy, like the weight he carried.
Corinth painted himself often after his 1911 stroke. This 1915 version feels raw and honest, not polished. His bold style helped shape modern German art.
See it for yourself at The Cleveland Museum of Art.
Overview
Created in 1915, this self‑portrait by Lovis Corinth presents the artist in a dark coat and hat, his face partially obscured by shadow. Executed with dense, impasto brushwork, the work conveys a palpable sense of fatigue and weight, reflecting the physical and emotional aftermath of the stroke he suffered three years earlier.
Subject & Meaning
Corinth chose to depict himself shortly after his near‑fatal stroke, using the canvas as a means of confronting his altered condition. The half‑lit visage, tired eyes, and lined features serve as a candid record of his personal vulnerability, offering viewers an intimate glimpse into the artist’s inner state during his later years.
Technique & Style
The painting is characterized by vigorous, rough brushstrokes and a limited, somber palette that emphasizes mass and texture. Corinth’s spontaneous handling of paint creates a tactile surface, while the heavy coloration reinforces the sense of burden he carried, exemplifying the expressive vigor that marked his contribution to German modernism.
History & Provenance
After its completion, the work entered private collections before being acquired by the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it remains on display. Its provenance traces a path from early 20th‑century German ownership to its current institutional setting, reflecting the painting’s recognized importance within Corinth’s oeuvre.
Context
During the decade following his stroke, Corinth served as president of the Berlin Secession (1915–1925), an organization that opposed state‑controlled art exhibitions. His leadership and his bold, expressive style helped shape the direction of modernist painting in Germany, positioning this self‑portrait within a broader movement toward artistic independence.
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.
