Bacchanal 1914

Lovis Corinth etched this Bacchanal with what looks like an economy of line, figures emerging from a field of thin, spidery marks. I can imagine him there, bent over the plate, willing the scene into being. I wonder, was he thinking about the old masters while making this? Or was he just letting the figures lead him into a chaotic dance? Look at the reclining figure in the lower corner – it’s raw, unfinished. It’s like Corinth is saying, ‘Here, deal with this, I’m not going to pretty it up for you.’ It’s an attitude, right? That single line that defines the leg - it’s not about perfect anatomy, it’s about energy, that mark is so alive. I feel like I can hear the scratching of the needle against the plate. Ultimately, it's about mark-making, this etching, one artist speaking to another across time, across forms, like a conversation.