The Walchensee with a Larch Tree 1921

Editor: Here we have Lovis Corinth’s "The Walchensee with a Larch Tree," painted in 1921 using oil on canvas. The impasto is incredible; you can really see the thick layers of paint. It's quite moody, dominated by shades of blue. What strikes you about this piece? Curator: For me, it's the materiality itself. Consider the post-WWI context. Pigments were becoming more readily available after wartime shortages, but anxieties about production and consumption persisted. Corinth uses this abundance to build a landscape, yes, but one built from the very stuff of paint. It isn't just representation; it's a demonstration of material excess. What kind of labor do you imagine went into creating this work? Editor: I imagine it was quite physical. Those brushstrokes look vigorous, almost urgent. Was this rapid execution a common practice then? Curator: Speed was certainly embraced by some as a way to capture fleeting impressions, linking it to modern life. But here, the visible brushwork and the layering – what does that do? Editor: It seems to emphasize the artist's process, laying bare the act of painting itself. Less about capturing a perfect scene, more about the labor and material transformation involved. Curator: Precisely. It challenges the hierarchy. Landscape, historically "high" art, meets a very hands-on, almost "craft"-like materiality. This challenges traditional definitions. Does that connection to material production impact your understanding of the landscape itself? Editor: Definitely. Knowing how deliberately and materially the landscape was built makes me see it less as a serene scene and more as a product of both artistic intention and material availability. Curator: Exactly, and Corinth manages to transform both raw material and perception in the process. Editor: I never considered landscape in terms of production before! I’ll certainly view these artworks in a new light now, thank you.