Lovis (Franz Heinrich Louis) Corinth Paintings

Lovis Corinth, born Franz Heinrich Louis Corinth on July 21, 1858, in Tapiau, East Prussia (now Gvardeysk, Russia), was a German artist known for his paintings, prints, and drawings, and is considered to be one of the most important representatives of German Impressionism and Expressionism.

Corinth began his art studies in 1880 at the Academy of Fine Arts in Königsberg and later moved to study in Munich, which was a center for artistic innovation at the time. He became a member of the Munich Secession in 1892, a group that had split from the mainstream Munich Artists' Association in search of more progressive artistic expressions. In 1900, he settled in Berlin and joined the Berlin Secession, where he eventually served as its president from 1915 to 1925.

Throughout his career, Corinth oscillated between naturalism and a more impressionistic style that emphasized the psychological and emotional content of his subjects. His works often depicted landscapes, still lifes, portraits, and scenes from mythology and the Bible, rendered with a vigorous, expressive brushwork that later became more abstract and gestural. This stylistic evolution is particularly evident after he suffered a stroke in 1911, which left his left hand partially paralyzed. His style became more intense, with a heightened use of color and a more dynamic application of paint.

Corinth was also a renowned printmaker, and his etchings and lithographs contributed significantly to his artistic legacy. His prints often displayed a rougher, more spontaneous line that complemented his painted oeuvre.

Despite his success in Germany, Corinth's works and reputation were later suppressed by the Nazi regime, which labeled his art as 'degenerate.' However, after World War II, his contributions to modern art were reassessed and celebrated. Lovis Corinth died on July 17, 1925, in Zandvoort, Netherlands, but left behind a body of work that continues to influence and inspire artists and art lovers around the world.