Die Vereitelte Flucht 1921

Lovis Corinth created "Die Vereitelte Flucht" using lithography and the effect is immediate: a flurry of color and jagged lines conveying the drama of a foiled escape. The composition is tightly packed, compressing figures and horses into a chaotic yet oddly balanced arrangement. Corinth's use of lithography here is expressive. The coarse texture and uneven application of color heighten the sense of urgency. Notice how the red hues, particularly in the sky, clash with the blues and blacks of the figures, creating visual tension. This tension mirrors the thematic content—the thwarted attempt at freedom. The linear qualities in "Die Vereitelte Flucht" are important for the narrative. The lines define forms, but also disrupt them. The effect of dynamism is palpable; the narrative's sense of capture and confinement enhanced by the very marks that attempt to give it shape. This piece exemplifies how Corinth uses formal elements not just to depict a scene, but to embody a deeper, more turbulent emotional state.