Study for "Menu for 60th Birthday"; verso: Study for "Menu for 60th Birthday" 1918

Curator: Let's consider this sketch now by Lovis Corinth titled "Study for 'Menu for 60th Birthday'", currently held at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: My first impression is one of frenetic energy. The charcoal lines are so immediate, almost chaotic, capturing a sense of celebratory commotion. Curator: Indeed. Corinth, born in 1858, was working within a society undergoing rapid industrialization and urbanization. This piece reflects the anxieties and shifting cultural norms of the era. The menu itself serves as a symbol of bourgeois ritual. Editor: And notice the materiality. It's a preliminary study, a sketch. The paper itself, the charcoal – these were readily available, relatively inexpensive materials, allowing for quick experimentation and capturing fleeting moments. Curator: Absolutely, and we see the grotesque figures, the caricature-like depictions, as Corinth questioning traditional notions of beauty and representation prevalent at the time. Editor: It makes you think about the conditions under which this labor was produced: Corinth’s studio, the availability of materials, and the societal expectations for artists. Curator: Looking at this sketch then, is a lens into understanding the complex dynamics of gender, class, and artistic expression at the turn of the century. Editor: This small drawing really encapsulates the collision of materials, labor, and social context.