Self portrait with his wife Charlotte Berend-Corinth and a sekt glass 1902

Lovis Corinth made this painting with oil on canvas sometime around 1902, capturing himself with his wife Charlotte. What I love about it is the unapologetic way Corinth represents himself. He doesn't shy away from depicting the intimacy and warmth between them. I imagine him standing before the canvas, brush in hand, trying to capture not just their likenesses, but also the atmosphere of that moment—the clinking of glasses, the soft light, the feeling of connection. The brushstrokes are loose and expressive, almost as if he’s trying to capture a fleeting memory before it fades away. It's the kind of painting that makes you feel like you’re right there with them, sharing a drink and a laugh. And in a way, isn’t that what painting is all about? A conversation across time, between the artist, the subject, and us, the viewers.