Artwork
Küste (Seascape)
Küste (Seascape) is an ink print by Lovis Corinth. It dates from 1916 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Lovis Corinth’s *Küste* (Seascape) is a 1916 dry‑point print executed in black on wove paper. The work presents a stark, monochrome coastal scene rendered with jagged, uneven lines that suggest a turbulent sea, rocky shore, and a solitary pole amid sparse vegetation.
Subject & Meaning
The image captures a bleak shoreline where rough waves crash against an irregular coast. Thin trees and a lone pole punctuate the composition, evoking a sense of isolation and the raw power of nature. The stark contrast of black lines on the paper emphasizes the harshness of the maritime environment.
Technique & Style
Corinth employed the dry‑point method, incising lines directly into a metal plate with a sharp needle. This process yields a characteristic burr that produces soft, fuzzy edges and a scratchy texture, evident in the work’s uneven strokes. The print’s monochrome palette and spontaneous line work reflect Corinth’s shift toward a more expressive, less naturalistic approach after his 1911 stroke.
History & Provenance
Created during World War I, the print belongs to the period when Corinth was active in the Berlin Secession, an association he later chaired. While specific ownership details are scarce, the work is documented among his print output from the early 1910s, a time when he explored marine subjects alongside other genre scenes.
Context
Corinth’s artistic formation combined studies in Paris and Munich, exposing him to both Impressionist and Expressionist currents. By 1916, his style merged these influences, moving away from strict naturalism toward a looser, more emotive visual language, as demonstrated in the dynamic, black‑and‑white rendering of *Küste*.
Artist & collection
Artist
Lovis Corinth was a German artist and writer whose mature work as a painter and printmaker realized a synthesis of impressionism and expressionism.
