Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a graphite drawing by Lovis Corinth. It dates from 1902 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1902, this pencil drawing by Lovis Corinth is part of the collection at the Museum of Modern Art. The work portrays a reclining female figure, captured in a moment of repose. Its informal title reflects the artist’s focus on the immediate visual impression rather than a narrative description.
Subject & Meaning
The figure is a portrait of Corinth’s wife, Charlotte, depicted while she is asleep. Her body is curled on her side, eyes closed, with one hand resting beneath her cheek, suggesting a private, intimate instant. The composition invites contemplation of vulnerability and the quiet interiority of a sleeping subject.
Technique & Style
Corinth employed rapid, gestural pencil strokes that retain the texture of the initial marks, giving the drawing a sense of immediacy. The folds of the blanket and the curve of the shoulder are rendered with loose, almost scribbled lines, while cross‑hatching creates subtle shadows, allowing the surface to convey both form and atmosphere without smoothing.
History & Provenance
The drawing entered the Museum of Modern Art’s holdings after changing hands through private collections in the early twentieth century. Its acquisition reflects MoMA’s interest in early modern German drawing and in works that document personal aspects of artists’ lives.
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.
Lamenting Woman (Sarah H. Crone)
Untitled
Das Kranke Kind (The Sick Child)
The Siesta
Sleeping Woman
Reclined Woman Sleeping (Femme couchee sommeillant)
La Belle Dame endormie
Weary
Head of the Fallen Jockey (study for "Scene from the Steeplechase: The Fallen Jockey")
By the Balcony
Weary
Kneeling in an Armchair