David mourns for Absalom 1923

Editor: We're looking at Lovis Corinth's "David mourns for Absalom," at the Harvard Art Museums. It's a print, a small sheet of paper covered in these frantic, dark marks. What can you tell me about it? Curator: Consider the labor involved in creating this image. The artist's hand, pressing the crayon to the paper, repeatedly, intensely. Notice how the materiality of the crayon—its waxy texture—influences the density and darkness of the marks. Does the process mirror the emotional intensity of the subject? Editor: I hadn't thought about it like that, but it makes perfect sense. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure.