Head of Woman 1911

Lovis Corinth made this etching, Head of Woman, with ink on paper. Look closely at the way the lines swarm and gather like iron filings around a magnet, that’s what makes this portrait. The whole image is built up through a process of accrual, almost like layers of sediment. See how the marks around the sitter’s eye are darker and denser than those describing the soft folds of her dress? Some areas are left almost untouched, like the plane of her cheek. This gives the sense of light, and also suggests a provisionality, as if the artist might keep working at any moment. The etching reminds me of work by Käthe Kollwitz, another German artist who worked in a similar vein, using expressive mark-making to convey deep emotion. Ultimately, this piece shows how a portrait is not just about representing a person, but about capturing a moment, a feeling, an exchange between artist and subject.