Rosa Rosen 1917

Lovis Corinth made Rosa Rosen with oil paint, using a lively, energetic approach to the making. Look at how the strokes of paint aren't trying to hide themselves. You can really see the artist's hand at work. The roses are not neat or precious, instead, they are built from thick dashes of pink, red, and a touch of white, like a painterly dance. Notice how the brushstrokes create texture, almost like you could reach out and feel the petals. The colors vibrate, too; that pale pink against the greens and reds makes it sing. There's a bit of the same energy you find in some of Van Gogh's flower paintings, that sense of capturing a fleeting moment, like the roses might start to wilt right before your eyes. It reminds us that art isn't just about copying what we see, but about feeling and process.