Nude Girl on a Rug 1912

Lovis Corinth made this painting, Nude Girl on a Rug, with oil on canvas. I can imagine Corinth standing before his easel, the model posed just so, wrestling with the slippery nature of flesh tones. You know, it’s all yellows, reds, browns, and whites, layered and mixed until she emerges from the canvas. Look at the way he’s handled the paint – thick and juicy in some areas, thinned out and almost transparent in others. I feel like the colors are so physical they create their own meaning. The brushstrokes themselves seem to mimic the curves and contours of the body, like he’s trying to capture not just what he sees, but also what he feels. The gesture of the right arm thrown behind her head seems casual, but look closer. It’s almost as if he's having a conversation with painters like Manet and Courbet, those guys were always pushing boundaries. I think about how Corinth is part of this big, ongoing conversation. Each artist picking up where the last one left off. They learn from each other, steal from each other, and push each other to see the world in new ways.