Absalom goes unto his father's concubines (II Samuel 16: 21-23) - Lovis Corinth

A powerful, gestural lithograph by Lovis Corinth depicting a dramatic biblical scene with raw, emotive mark-making.

This lithograph by Lovis Corinth depicts a dramatic biblical narrative from the Second Book of Samuel. The scene captures the moment Absalom, following the counsel of Ahithophel, asserts his claim to the throne of David by taking his father's concubines. Corinth, a central figure in the transition from late nineteenth-century academic painting to German Expressionism, employs a raw, gestural technique here. The figures emerge from a dense, atmospheric darkness, their forms suggested rather than explicitly defined.

Corinth's approach to the biblical subject matter is characteristically psychological. He avoids the rigid compositions of traditional history painting, opting instead for a fluid, emotive rendering that prioritises the tension of the narrative. The heavy use of lithographic crayon creates a textured, almost frantic surface, reflecting the turmoil of the event. The interplay between light and shadow serves to obscure and reveal the figures, drawing the viewer into the claustrophobic intimacy of the scene.

Throughout his later career, Corinth produced a significant body of graphic work, often exploring themes of power, mortality, and human frailty. This print belongs to a series of biblical illustrations that demonstrate his mastery of the medium. His ability to convey complex emotional states through minimal, vigorous marks is evident in the way the bodies are intertwined and the faces are partially veiled in shadow. The work functions as a study of human desire and political ambition, stripped of ornamental detail. It remains a compelling example of how the artist utilised the graphic arts to interpret classical texts through a modern, subjective lens. The print is a stark, monochromatic exploration of a dark historical moment, executed with the characteristic urgency of Corinth's mature style.