Mother and Child 1911

Lovis Corinth made this etching called ‘Mother and Child’ probably sometime in the early 20th century. The cross hatching is incredible, it’s like he’s building up the image stroke by stroke, not trying to be too precious, just letting the lines do their thing. You can almost feel the texture of the paper, the way the ink sits on the surface, it's so tactile. Check out how the lines around the mother's head create a sense of volume. And the kid's eyes, how she looks right at you, kind of wary, kind of curious. Corinth reminds me a bit of Käthe Kollwitz, another German artist who was doing prints around the same time. Both of them were interested in everyday life, family, and the human condition, but they each had their own way of looking at the world. With Corinth you get this incredible feeling of process, like you're seeing the artist thinking on paper.