The Large Martyrdom 1907

Lovis Corinth made this raw and moving painting, The Large Martyrdom, using oil on canvas. Look at those dominant gestural marks and earthy colors, like it came into being kicking and screaming! I really sympathize with Corinth here, imagining him wrestling with the canvas, trying to get this vision down. What was he thinking as he smeared and scrubbed the paint? The thick texture and raw surface really get under my skin. That one brushstroke across the figure's chest—it communicates so much feeling, such pain and resignation, but there's also beauty and dignity. Corinth’s work reminds me of other painters who push the boundaries of figuration, like Francis Bacon. Artists are in an ongoing conversation across time, challenging and inspiring each other's creativity. I believe this is more than just a painting, it's a form of embodied expression, embracing ambiguity and allowing for multiple interpretations.