Große Walchenseelandschaft. 1923

Lovis Corinth created this landscape of the Walchensee using etching techniques. Notice how the composition is structured around stark contrasts, where dense, dark areas meet open spaces. The hatching lines build up to form the shapes, and give the work a distinct texture, especially prominent in the mountains and trees, creating a sense of depth and distance. Corinth uses line not just to depict form but to convey the raw energy of the natural world. This tension captures an expressionistic impulse, transforming a traditional landscape into a terrain of heightened emotional experience. Consider how the image uses contrast not just as a visual tool, but as a means of engaging with broader themes of perception and reality. The expressive use of line and tone invites us to contemplate the dynamic interplay between the external world and our internal states, challenging the viewer to find stability within the flux of experience.