Vrouw met hoed omringd door een groep gezichten 

Lovis Corinth created this print, "Woman with Hat Surrounded by a Group of Faces," using etching, drypoint, and roulette. Looking at it now, we must remember Corinth's Germany, a society in transition grappling with rapid industrialization and shifting social structures. The woman in the hat, the image's focal point, might represent the rising bourgeoisie, eager to emulate the aristocracy's fashions and manners. The faces surrounding her could symbolize the diverse social strata jostling for position in this changing world. The techniques Corinth used also tell a story. Etching and drypoint, with their potential for sharp lines and subtle textures, were often favored for satirical or critical imagery. Does the roulette, adding a sense of chaos, suggest the instability of the era? To understand this print more fully, one might explore German social history, art criticism of the time, and the records of the Berlin Secession, of which Corinth was president. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.