Liegender Weiblicher Akt I (Reclining Female Nude I)

Art Historical Context

Lovis Corinth's *Liegender Weiblicher I (Reclining Female Nude I, created in 1912, the sensual curve of a reclining female figure in a masterful drypoint etching. A pivotal figure in German modernism, Corinth (1858–1925) bridged Impressionism and Expressionism, co-founding the Berlin Secession to challenge academic traditions. By 1912, following a stroke the previous year, his work grew bolder and more introspective, infusing classical nude motifs with raw emotional intensity and loose, vibrant lines. Drypoint, Corinth's chosen medium here, involves scratching directly into a copper plate with a sharp needle, raising a soft burr that yields velvety black tones on wove paper. This intimate technique—plate size 20.2 x 27 cm—produces rich textures and spontaneous effects impossible in standard etching, highlighting the model's luminous skin and relaxed pose. The print's modest scale invites close viewing, emphasizing Corinth's late-career mastery of light and form. Now in the National Gallery of Art as a gift from the Marcy Family, this work exemplifies early 20th-century printmaking's artistic prestige, blending erotic tradition with modernist vigor. Visitors will appreciate its tactile depth, a testament to Corinth's enduring passion for the human body.

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...