Nurse 1914

Lovis Corinth made this print of a nurse using etching, where lines are bitten into a metal plate with acid. I can imagine him drawing quickly, trying to catch her likeness, the curve of her neck, her serious gaze. What kind of stories could she tell, this nurse? Was she caring for someone sick? It makes me wonder about the people in Corinth’s life, who he cared for or who cared for him. Notice how some of the lines are quite dark, they give her face depth. Other areas are lighter and more sketchy. Maybe he reworked the image, going back to certain parts that needed more definition. Printmaking is like that. You have to trust the process. Each mark builds on the last, layering up to make the final image. Artists look to each other, borrowing ideas, pushing boundaries. Corinth was definitely part of the conversation, and his work keeps talking to us today.