Wolf und Fuchs kämpfen gegeneinander; Reinecke siegt schliesslich mit unfairen Mitteln 1920

This print by Lovis Corinth captures a violent confrontation between a wolf and a fox with an expressive, gestural style. The composition is a flurry of jagged lines and clashing tones, dominated by earthy browns and reds. The artist's frenzied marks create a sense of chaotic energy. The scene is only loosely defined, with the animals emerging from a dense thicket of marks that suggest a forest. Corinth destabilizes traditional depictions of animal combat through abstraction. We can read a semiotic system of signs in the gestural brushstrokes. They evoke not just the physical struggle, but the raw, untamed aspects of nature and the primal instincts driving these creatures. This abstraction invites us to question the boundaries between representation and expression. The lack of clear narrative details focuses our attention on the formal qualities of the artwork. This transforms a simple scene into an intense visual experience. It also provides a metaphor for broader themes of survival, competition, and the darker side of existence.