Badeanstalt (Bathing Place)

Corinth used drypoint to create dense, scratchy lines that build form through texture rather than outline. The black ink on wove paper enhances contrast and depth, with areas of heavy burr suggesting shadow and volume. His brushwork in drawing translates into a rough, energetic line quality, revealing the physical act of mark-making. This technique aligns with expressionist tendencies, prioritizing emotional resonance over precise detail.

Created in 1919, the print emerged during Corinth’s post-stroke period in Berlin, when he increasingly turned to printmaking as a means of artistic renewal. He had been active in the Berlin Secession since 1909, and this work reflects his continued engagement with modernist currents. While specific early ownership records are not widely documented, the piece is held in major institutional collections today, reflecting its significance in his graphic oeuvre.

In postwar Germany, artists like Corinth turned to intimate, everyday subjects as a response to societal upheaval. Public bathing places were common urban spaces, often depicted in late 19th- and early 20th-century art as sites of naturalism. Corinth’s treatment diverges from idealized nudes of the past, instead presenting the body in unadorned, unheroic poses, aligning with broader trends toward psychological realism in Weimar-era art.

Badeanstalt exemplifies Corinth’s transformation into a more visceral, emotionally direct artist after his illness. His drypoints from this period influenced later generations of German printmakers who valued expressive line and raw observation. Though less celebrated than his paintings, these prints remain vital for understanding his evolution and the broader shift toward expressionist modes in early 20th-century German art.