Arno Holz 1922

Lovis Corinth captured Arno Holz in this charcoal drawing, a medium that is immediate, raw, and capable of great subtlety. Charcoal is essentially burnt wood, so already there's a transformation from nature to culture, from tree to portrait. The material properties of charcoal influence every aspect of this drawing. See how Corinth uses broad, smudged strokes to define the planes of Holz's face, and sharper, more deliberate lines to suggest his features. The powdery texture of the charcoal allows for a range of tonal values, from the deepest shadows to the lightest highlights. Consider the labor involved: the gathering and processing of the wood to make the charcoal, and the artist’s hand moving across the paper. The directness of charcoal allows for expressive mark-making, very different from the indirect, layered process of oil painting. Ultimately, the choice of material and technique here reflects a commitment to honest, unvarnished representation, collapsing hierarchies between fine art and the everyday.