Berlin · Germany
Lovis Corinth: Then Came Berlin!
How a mid-life relocation ignited a German modernist revolution
When Lovis Corinth relocated from Munich to the capital in 1901, he was already approaching forty. Rather than slowing his creative trajectory, the decision proved catalytic. Abandoning strict naturalism, he embraced a more liberated pictorial language that quickly positioned him at the centre of Germany's burgeoning modernist networks. Working alongside figures such as Max Liebermann, Max Slevogt, and Walter Leistikow, Corinth developed a distinctive approach characterised by vigorous, spontaneous brushwork. This stylistic pivot not only defined his mature output but also established a visual vocabulary that would echo through subsequent generations, influencing movements like the New Wild Ones and artists including Georg Baselitz and Lucian Freud.
The Berlin Period Reassessed
The current survey at the Berlinische Galerie examines this transformative decade with renewed scholarly attention. Running from 9 October 2026 through 25 January 2027, the presentation brings together approximately eighty paintings and drawings by the artist himself. Crucially, it situates Corinth within a broader pedagogical ecosystem, displaying roughly thirty pieces by his pupils and peers. Works by Charlotte Berend-Corinth, Minna Beckmann-Tube, August Macke, and Slevogt appear alongside institutional holdings and private loans, offering a layered perspective on artistic exchange during this era.
Pedagogy, Gender, and Professional Pathways
Beyond formal aesthetics, the curatorial framework investigates the structural realities facing emerging practitioners in the early twentieth century. Special emphasis is placed on the mentorship Corinth provided, examining both his instructional techniques and the varied responses they provoked. The show also highlights the professional avenues available to women pursuing visual arts careers at a time when institutional support remained uneven. By juxtaposing student works with master studies, the gallery illuminates how informal academies operated outside traditional academic structures, often providing crucial platforms for underrepresented voices.
Theatrical Ventures and Institutional Lineage
Corinth's creative impulses extended beyond easel painting into performance design. Beginning in 1903, he collaborated extensively with impresario Max Reinhardt, crafting elaborate costumes and scenography that reflected his interest in dramatic lighting and psychological depth. These theatrical projects reveal another dimension of his practice, demonstrating how cross-disciplinary experimentation fed back into his studio work.
The presentation follows a recent trajectory of monographic surveys mounted by the hosting institution, which previously highlighted Edvard Munch, Ferdinand Hodler, and Lotte Laserstein. Each iteration has reinforced the venue's commitment to mapping the geographical and stylistic shifts that shaped Central European modernism. Visitors can engage with the material through weekly English-language guided walks held every Saturday at 4:15 pm. A substantial companion volume, published by Hatje Cantz, contains two hundred reproductions across two hundred and fifty-six pages, priced at forty-four euros (ISBN 978-3-7757-6348-6). Financial backing derives from several major cultural foundations, including the Ernst von Siemens Kunststiftung, the LOTTO-Stiftung Berlin, and the International Music and Art Foundation Vaduz, alongside collaborative contributions from the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin network and the Stiftung Stadtmuseum Berlin.
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