Who painted Selbstbildnis 1919 (Self-Portrait 1919)?

Selbstbildnis 1919 (Self-Portrait 1919) was painted by Lovis Corinth in 1919.

Where can I see Selbstbildnis 1919 (Self-Portrait 1919)?

Selbstbildnis 1919 (Self-Portrait 1919) is held by National Gallery of Art.

Artwork

Selbstbildnis 1919 (Self-Portrait 1919)

Lovis Corinth , 1919

Selbstbildnis 1919 (Self-Portrait 1919) is an ink print by Lovis Corinth. It dates from 1919 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

The hands rest on a table, holding what looks like a piece of paper or a small book.

This sketch shows a person’s head and shoulders turned slightly away. The face is blurred, with rough lines for the hair and clothes. The hands rest on a table, holding what looks like a piece of paper or a small book.

The artist signed it in the corner, but the face is hard to read on purpose. This was made in 1919 using a printing method that presses ink onto stone.

Next, check out lithography to see how this kind of drawing works.

Overview

Selbstbildnis 1919 is a lithograph self-portrait by Lovis Corinth, created in 1919. Executed in black ink, the print depicts the artist's head and shoulders in a slightly averted pose, with blurred facial features, roughly defined hair and clothing, and hands resting on a table holding a paper or small book.

Subject & Meaning

As a self-portrait, the work belongs to Corinth's broader exploration of portraiture. The intentional blurring of the face and loose rendering may reflect the artist's post-stroke stylistic evolution, prioritizing expressive qualities over realism.

Technique & Style

The lithograph showcases Corinth's synthesis of impressionist and expressionist tendencies, albeit in a monochromatic palette here. The loose, expressive lines and blurred forms exemplify the more spontaneous and dynamic approach characteristic of his work after 1911.

History & Provenance

Created in 1919, following Corinth's leadership of the Berlin Secession and his transformative stroke in 1911, the self-portrait demonstrates the artist's adaptation to new stylistic expressions in his later career.

Context

Technically, Selbstbildnis 1919 utilizes lithography, a printmaking method involving drawing on stone with ink, which allowed for the expressive, hand-drawn quality evident in the piece.