Cats 1920

Lovis Corinth made this print of two cats, called simply enough, Cats, sometime between the late 19th and early 20th century. It’s all about the sketchy lines really, you can see where he’s gone over the same area again and again to get the shapes right, a real sense of process. The texture and tone of the print, from the paper itself, feels like a whisper. The drawn lines build a tonal range through simple hatching. The sleeping cat in the lower half is all curled up, a little ball of fur. Corinth uses short, quick strokes to capture the animal's form, almost like he's sketching it in real time. The lines aren't precious, they overlap and intersect, building a sense of volume and softness. Look at the way he suggests the fur with just a few flicks of the wrist! Thinking of other artists who loved to draw animals, I’m reminded of Franz Marc, but where his animals are all bold color and symbolic weight, these cats are all about the quiet observation of daily life. Art isn't about having all the answers, sometimes it's just about asking the right questions.