Woman with a Glass of Wine 1908

Curator: Here we have Lovis Corinth’s "Woman with a Glass of Wine," painted in 1908. You'll notice the generous application of oil paint; it’s quite characteristic of his later, expressionistic period. What’s your initial take on it? Editor: Intoxicating! In a purely visual sense, of course. The colours vibrate. She almost dissolves into the background. The brushstrokes are so immediate, it's like we’ve caught her in a fleeting moment. Curator: Corinth’s impasto technique is definitely at play here. Look at the materiality of the paint, how he builds up these textures, blurring the lines between the figure and the setting. One has to think about the availability of pigments, the specific brushes, the socioeconomic forces enabling Corinth to devote time to this kind of work. Editor: You know, all those earthly concerns fade when I look at her face. The soft vulnerability he captures is heartbreaking. Almost as if she’s searching for something at the bottom of her glass. I'm curious about the social dynamics suggested. Was it radical in those times for women to drink alcohol by themselves? Or is my gaze simply coloured by present views? Curator: It's crucial to acknowledge Corinth's personal relationships when evaluating his portraits. We can explore how the role of women, and drinking practices, functioned within early 20th-century bourgeois culture. And her gaze can suggest an interesting relation with the artist, too, hence, with us! Editor: So true! What resonates with me now is Corinth's honest depiction of human emotion. It's beyond the glass, the brushstrokes, it’s that flicker of loneliness that really gets me. Curator: By focusing on these layered aspects, the artist, social settings and the subject's gaze, Corinth has certainly gifted us much to ponder. Editor: Absolutely! A toast, perhaps, to the enduring power of a well-poured…painting.