Artwork
Verschiedene Tierstudien (Animal Studies)
Verschiedene Tierstudien (Animal Studies) is an ink print by Lovis Corinth. It dates from 1917 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1917, this drypoint print by German artist Lovis Corinth presents a series of animal sketches rendered in black on laid paper. The work consists of quick, informal studies of cows and a few birds, their forms outlined with loose, slightly irregular lines that convey a sense of immediacy rather than finished composition.
Subject & Meaning
The composition gathers several animal figures, primarily bovine, arranged in overlapping poses. The simplified heads and gestural bodies suggest an interest in capturing the essence of the creatures rather than detailed naturalistic representation, reflecting Corinth’s ongoing fascination with animal subjects in his printmaking practice.
Technique & Style
Executed with drypoint, Corinth incised the image directly into a metal plate, allowing the ink to settle in the furrows and produce characteristic soft, fuzzy edges. The hand‑drawn quality of the lines, combined with a relatively loose handling of form, aligns with the artist’s post‑stroke shift toward a blend of impressionistic vigor and expressionistic intensity.
History & Provenance
The print belongs to a period after Corinth’s 1911 stroke, when his work became marked by brighter tonal contrasts and a more liberated approach to line. Produced during the later stage of his career, it exemplifies his transition from naturalistic detail to a more expressive visual language in both painting and print media.
Context
Corinth’s animal studies were part of a broader engagement with everyday subjects that he explored across media. In the years surrounding World War I, his prints often served as rapid visual investigations, allowing him to experiment with composition and gesture without the constraints of color or elaborate finish.
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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.
