Das ABC: Letter B 

Lovis Corinth made this drawing, "Das ABC: Letter B," using lithographic crayon on paper. The medium immediately gives the work its character. Look closely, and you can see the crayon's granular texture, and the directness of the artist's hand. Lithography is a printmaking process, but here it allows for a kind of free, expressive mark-making you might associate with a sketch. Corinth exploits this quality to the full. The figures inside the letter seem caught in a moment of frenzied activity, brought to life by the gestural strokes of the crayon. This brings us to the social context. Drawings like this, which are part of a larger series on the alphabet, were relatively accessible, reaching a broad audience, beyond the traditional art world. Corinth clearly enjoyed playing with the potential for both high art and popular appeal that lithography offered. Ultimately, the drawing reminds us that even the most traditional forms can be infused with new life through innovative processes and accessible materials.