Death and the Woman, from the portfolio Dance of Death - Lovis Corinth

A raw and expressive drypoint print by Lovis Corinth, exploring themes of mortality through agitated lines and stark contrast.

Lovis Corinth produced the portfolio Dance of Death in 1921, a period when his health was failing and his artistic output became increasingly raw and introspective. This specific print, Death and the Woman, exemplifies his late style, which moved away from the academic precision of his earlier years towards a more agitated, expressive mark-making technique. The composition features a skeletal figure of Death looming over a woman, rendered with heavy, dark lines that suggest a sense of urgency and existential anxiety.

Corinth utilised the drypoint medium to create deep, velvety blacks and jagged, nervous lines that define the forms. The interaction between the two figures is intimate yet unsettling, reflecting the traditional memento mori theme that preoccupied many artists of the early twentieth century. The background is largely abstracted, with diagonal hatching creating a sense of motion and instability, which forces the viewer to focus on the psychological tension between the figures. The artist's signature, visible at the bottom, is integrated into the overall composition, reinforcing the personal nature of this work.

As a member of the Berlin Secession, Corinth was well-versed in the traditions of European art, yet this work shows his willingness to break from those conventions. The lack of refined finish is intentional, allowing the physical act of drawing to remain visible. This print offers a glimpse into the artist's preoccupation with mortality, a subject he approached with both cynicism and a sense of resignation. The stark contrast between the light and shadow creates a dramatic effect, typical of his graphic work from this period. It remains a compelling example of how printmaking allowed artists to explore complex themes with immediacy and emotional weight.