‘Carmencita’, Portrait of Charlotte Berend-Corinth in Spanish Dress 1924

Editor: Lovis Corinth’s “Carmencita”, a portrait in oil from 1924 currently residing in the Städel Museum. I’m struck by its boldness. The colors are rich and dark, almost somber, yet there’s a flamboyance to the pose and the Spanish dress. What draws your eye when you look at this piece? Curator: It whispers stories, doesn’t it? Of masquerades and identities explored, blurred even. For me, it’s the visible brushstrokes, so full of restless energy; Corinth seems to be wrestling with the very act of portraying. Do you notice how the face almost floats, ethereal, against the density of the shawl and skirt? It's Charlotte, yes, his wife, but through that dress, that performance, Corinth is also, I think, painting a part of himself, his vision of her, and perhaps his anxieties about her aging and changing roles. A conversation on canvas, if you will. Does that resonate with you at all? Editor: It does! The brushstrokes make it feel very immediate and raw. So you think this “Carmencita” is also a kind of self-portrait of Corinth himself? Curator: In a way, yes! It is a conversation, even a playful one, but tinged with melancholy and reflection of mortality. Artists often see themselves reflected in their subjects, particularly in portraiture. How could they not? Editor: I never thought of portraiture as an act of self-reflection for the artist! It’s like layers upon layers of identity. Thanks for that insight. Curator: Precisely! That's the beauty, isn't it? A singular artwork reflecting an infinity.