Artwork
Unter dem Kronleuchter (Under the Chandelier)
Unter dem Kronleuchter (Under the Chandelier) 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
The image captures a dim interior illuminated by a hanging chandelier, populated by a seated figure and a standing figure with crossed arms.
Created in 1916, *Unter dem Kronleuchter* is a drypoint print executed in black on laid paper by German artist Lovis Corinth. The image captures a dim interior illuminated by a hanging chandelier, populated by a seated figure and a standing figure with crossed arms. The composition is rendered in stark, scratchy lines that emphasize shadow and atmosphere, characteristic of Corinth’s mature printmaking.
Subject & Meaning
The scene depicts a sparsely furnished room where a heavy chandelier casts a muted glow over a slumped sitter and a nearby figure whose posture suggests tension or contemplation. Shelves and a table hold everyday objects—books, a lamp, a vase of flowers—providing a domestic context that invites reflection on solitude and interpersonal distance within an intimate space.
Technique & Style
Corinth employed drypoint, a intaglio method in which a sharp needle incises lines directly into the paper’s surface, producing a characteristic burr that yields rich, velvety blacks. The exclusive use of black ink heightens contrast, while the rough, hurried strokes convey an expressionistic vigor that aligns with the artist’s post‑stroke shift toward looser, more emotive rendering.
History & Provenance
Lovis Corinth, trained in Paris and Munich before becoming a leading figure in the Berlin Secession, produced this work during the later phase of his career, following a 1911 stroke that altered his artistic approach. The print exemplifies his integration of Impressionist observation and Expressionist intensity, and it remains documented in several European print collections, reflecting its continued scholarly interest.
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.
