"Was der blitz! Das ist ja die gustel von blasewitz" ("What's That! It's Gustel von Blasewitz") 1923

Lovis Corinth made this etching, "Was der blitz! Das ist ja die gustel von blasewitz" – which roughly translates to "What's that! It's Gustel von Blasewitz," – without a known date. See how the etched lines create depth and dimension through their varying thickness and density, a process of layering that mirrors the building up of paint in my own work. Looking closely, you’ll notice the frenzy of activity, the chaotic arrangement of figures, their expressions exaggerated, and almost grotesque. The whole scene, caught in frantic strokes, teeters on the edge of hysteria, a feeling compounded by the coarseness of the etching. It’s in this very roughness, this raw, almost clumsy handling of the medium, that Corinth seems to reveal his innermost feelings. Corinth, with his intense focus on emotion and the subjective experience, reminds me of later expressionists like Kirchner or Schmidt-Rottluff, who push the boundaries of form to amplify emotional impact. Like them, Corinth isn't just depicting a scene, but inviting us into a state of mind, a whirlwind of feelings made visible through the physicality of the medium.