Woman with Needlework 1912

Lovis Corinth made this etching, Woman with Needlework, with simple lines that feel both raw and intimate. It’s like seeing the world through his eyes, a world where process matters more than perfection. The texture here is all in the lines, a web of cross-hatching that builds up the form. The lines aren’t precious; they’re there to describe a kind of reality. Look at the face, how the lines around the eyes and mouth suggest a life lived, a story etched onto the skin. It reminds me of some of Käthe Kollwitz's prints, where the line carries both form and emotional weight. It’s this honesty, this embrace of the imperfect, that really grabs me. It’s like Corinth is saying, "Here it is, life as I see it, flaws and all." And in that, there’s a strange kind of beauty.