Strasse in Königsberg (Street in Königsberg)

Art Historical Context

Lovis Corinth's *Strasse in Königs (Street in Königs)*, created in 1918, captures a poignant moment in the artist's late career. Born near Königsberg (now Kalrad, Russia) in Prussia, Corinth returned to this familiar urban landscape amid the turmoil of World War I's final year. As a leading figure in German Expressionism a founder of the Berlin Secession Corinth infused his works with bold emotion and loose brushwork in painting; here, he translates that vitality into printmaking, reflecting on his roots during a time of national upheaval as Germany faced defeat and the dawn of the Weimar Republic. This black lithograph, measuring 39.7 × 25 cm, exemplifies lithography's versatility for dramatic tonal contrasts and fluid lines. Printed from a stone or metal plate, the medium allowed Corinth—post-stroke in 1911—to explore expressive mark-making with greasy crayon and tusche, yielding rich blacks and subtle grays that evoke the moody atmosphere of a Prussian street. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's Rosenwald Collection (Department CG-W), it highlights his mastery of the print as an accessible art form. A testament to Corinth's enduring productivity into his seventies, this work bridges personal nostalgia and historical flux, inviting viewers to ponder the quiet resilience of everyday scenes amid profound change.

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...