Selbstbildnis im Strohhut, als Brustbild (Self-Portrait in a Straw Hat, Bust Length)

Art Historical Context

Lovis Corinth's *Selbstbildnis im Strout, als Brustbild* (Self-Portrait in a Straw, Bust Length), created in 1913, the German artist's introspective gaze in a striking drypoint print. At 74 years old and in the mature phase of his career, Corinth—a leading figure in the Berlin Secession and a bridge between Impressionism and Expressionism—often turned to self-portraiture. This bust-length depiction, with its casual straw hat, evokes a moment of relaxed informality amid his bold, psychological explorations of identity and aging. Drypoint, Corinth's chosen medium here, is an intimate intaglio technique where the artist scratches directly into a copper plate with a sharp needle, raising a soft burr that produces rich, velvety black lines on J. W. Zanders wove paper. The modest plate size (15 × 11.5 cm) belies the print's expressive power, showcasing Corinth's mastery of texture and line to convey character and emotion. Printed in black ink, it exemplifies early 20th-century printmaking's revival as a fine art form. Now housed in the National Gallery of Art as a gift from Ruth Cole Kainen (Department CG-W), this work highlights Corinth's technical innovation and personal candor, inviting visitors to ponder the artist's unflinching self-reflection on the eve of World War I.

About the Artist

Lovis Corinth · 1858–1925

Lovis Corinth, born Franz Heinrich Louis on July 21, 1858, in Tapiau, East Prussia (now Gvardeysk, Russia), to a tanner father, displayed prodigious drawing talent from childhood. He began formal training at the Königsberg Academy in 1876, then moved to the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich from 1880 to 1884, studying under Ludwig von Löfftz and briefly Franz von Defregger, where he absorbed a Realis...