Wilhelm Trübner

The work depicts Wilhelm Trübner, a German realist painter whose naturalistic approach initially contrasted with Corinth’s early impressionist leanings. By 1913, Corinth’s view of Trübner had shifted, and the portrait reflects a gesture of acknowledgment toward a contemporary whose art once stood in opposition to his own evolving style.

Executed as a drypoint, the print relies on incised lines that retain a rough, unrefined quality, characteristic of Corinth’s post‑stroke period. The exclusive use of black ink against a light paper background emphasizes contour over detail, while the swift, unfinished strokes convey immediacy and a move toward expressionist sensibilities.

Created two years after Corinth suffered a debilitating stroke in 1911, the piece marks a transitional phase in his printmaking. While specific ownership records are sparse, the work remains associated with Corinth’s later oeuvre, illustrating his adaptation to physical limitations through altered artistic methods.

Corinth, trained in Paris and Munich, became a leading figure in the Berlin Secession, a group advocating modernist reforms. The portrait of Trübner emerges amid this milieu, reflecting the broader dialogue between realism and emerging expressionist tendencies within early twentieth‑century German art.