In a Corset 1910

Lovis Corinth made this painting of a woman in a corset with oil on canvas. The paint handling feels impatient and sensual, like the artist was trying to capture a fleeting moment. I get the sense Corinth wanted to seize the opportunity, or maybe he worked quickly from life, trying to distill what he was seeing into a few key gestures. I bet he was looking at the paintings of Manet and others. The ochre and warm tones create a feeling of intimacy, as though we are intruding into this woman’s private space. You can sense the air of her room, the domestic scene, the heavy mirror. And I love how the corset, a symbol of constraint, is painted with such energetic brushstrokes; the artist has made it his subject, bringing it to life with a vitality that transcends its conventional associations. Painters are always in conversation with one another, and they were then, too.