Badeanstalt (Bathing Place) 1919

Lovis Corinth made this etching, “Badeanstalt (Bathing Place)”, using fine lines that feel like a spontaneous response to the scene. The marks are so direct, they don’t seem to be trying to do too much. The scene shimmers with light. Look at the way Corinth used cross-hatching to build up the figures and ground in the foreground. The etching feels immediate and alive, like a sketch dashed off in a moment. The medium of printmaking allows for an intimacy and directness. Corinth seems to revel in the physicality of the process. The figures feel monumental, yet fleeting, anchored to the page by a kind of tense, graphic energy. You can see echoes of artists like Munch, but with a uniquely personal, almost anxious touch. Art, like swimming, is about immersion, being willing to dive into the unknown. It's a reminder that art is an ongoing conversation, always open to new interpretations.