Corinth, Lovis (1858-1925) , German painter and graphic artist, who, next to Max Liebermann, was one of the most influential representatives of German impressionism.

Corinth was born in Tapiau, close to Königsberg in East Prussia. After completing his studies at the academy in Königsberg (1876-1880), he spent several years in Munich. Between 1884 and 1887, after a brief stay in Antwerp, Belgium, he studied at the Académie Julien in Paris, France. He then returned to Munich for several years, where, in 1892, he established the first Sezession in close cooperation with German artist Franz von Stuck. A member of the Berlin Sezession since 1899, Corinth moved to Berlin for good in 1901. There he soon became an influential personality during the era of Emperor William II, thanks to his portraits and historical paintings in dark, heavy colors. In 1903 he married his student, Charlotte Behrend, of whom he created several portraits (Charlotte Behrend-Corinth, 1912, Nationalgalerie, Berlin).

After a stroke in 1911 left him paralyzed on one side, Corinth’s works became increasingly ecstatic and expressive. Starting in 1918 he regularly spent his summers in Urfeld on the Walchensee, capturing the countryside in several paintings, such as Selbstbildnis vor dem Walchensee (1924, Neue Pinakothek, Munich) and Walchensee- Panorama (1924, Wallraf-Richartz Museum, Cologne). During the final years of his life, he painted more and more religious scenes (Ecce Homo, 1925, Kunstmuseum, Basel, Switzerland) and discovered an almost expressionistic style of painting.

Corinth’s briskly executed paintings were dominated by color, which became lighter during the later stages of his career. Besides landscapes and still lifes of flowers, he primarily painted psychologically intense portraits, among them many self-portraits: Graf von Keyserling (1900, Neue Pinakothek, Munich), Selbstbildnis mit Skelett (1896, Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Munich), Selbstbildnis mit Modell(1901, Kunstmuseum, Wintherthur, Switzerland).

Besides his paintings, he left an extensive collection of graphic works including lithographs, etchings, and book illustrations. In addition, he wrote theoretical texts such as Das Erlernen der Malerei (1908) and an autobiography (1926). After having received several honors (President of the Berlin Secession in 1915, Honorary Member of the Berlin Academy in 1925), he died in Zandvoort, the Netherlands, in 1925.