Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a crayon drawing by Lovis Corinth. It dates from 1917 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1917, this untitled crayon drawing by German painter Lovis Corinth is part of the Museum of Modern Art’s collection. Executed on paper, the work presents a solitary figure in a suit, rendered in a brief, gestural manner that suggests a quick observational study rather than a finished portrait.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a formally dressed man seated with one hand resting on his knee. His coat is buttoned, his hair is neatly arranged, and his expression is hinted at through loose line work, inviting viewers to consider the everyday presence of a bourgeois individual in early‑twentieth‑century Europe.
Technique & Style
Corinth employed crayon to produce varied line thicknesses, allowing the drawing’s surface to appear textured and slightly blurred in places. The swift, loose strokes capture the figure’s outline and clothing with minimal detail, emphasizing gesture over precise modeling and giving the piece a spontaneous, sketch‑like quality.
History & Provenance
The drawing was produced during the final year of World War I, a period of intense activity for Corinth. It entered the Museum of Modern Art’s holdings at an unspecified date, where it remains on view as an example of the artist’s work on paper and his interest in rapid, on‑site studies.
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.
