Standard Bearer 1915

Lovis Corinth made this drawing of a standard bearer, using ink, in a manner that feels really immediate. It's all about the process, isn't it? The way Corinth uses the ink, it’s not just about depicting something; it's about the energy of the marks themselves. See how the lines around the figure are so loose and scribbled? It's like he's trying to capture a fleeting moment, or maybe just the feeling of a moment. There's a real physicality to it, almost like you can feel the artist's hand moving across the page. I keep thinking about how much the Fauves admired Corinth, the way he threw down these marks, almost violently. And look at the way the figure emerges from the dark background—it’s not precise, but it's full of life, like a memory forming. It makes me think about artists like Kirchner, who were also trying to find ways to express inner states through raw, gestural marks. Ultimately, art is a conversation.