Sheet of Sketches 1877

"Sheet of Sketches" (1877) by Lovis Corinth is a collection of graphite sketches that capture a series of fleeting moments, likely made during a single observational session. The collection includes a seated figure in a hat, a profile of a bearded man in a hat, and a variety of hands and facial details, all rendered with rapid, expressive strokes. This sheet exemplifies Corinth's early interest in capturing the essence of a subject in quick, loose sketches, an approach that would become central to his later career. The artist's style, marked by its energy and sensitivity, would later evolve to incorporate a more dramatic and expressive brushwork. This sheet, however, reveals a talent already attuned to capturing the nuances of human form and gesture.