Become Corinth!

Alongside Max Liebermann and Max Slevogt, Lovis Corinth (1858-1925) is one of the most important modernist artists in Germany. At a time of profound upheavals in art and society, he developed a pictorial language that drew on traditional subjects such as biblical or mythological scenes as well as portraits, landscapes and still lifes.
To mark the 100th anniversary of the artist's death, the Central Institute for Art History in Munich is organising the exhibition "Becoming Corinth! The artist and art history". The focus is not so much on Corinth's work, but rather on the history of his art historical categorisation and public perception. How is an artist's image actually created? What roles do exhibitions, retrospectives, catalogues raisonnés, reproductions, academic publications and media mediation play in understanding an oeuvre?
In eleven thematically organised chapters, the exhibition traces how Corinth has been viewed, evaluated, celebrated and also criticised since the early 20th century - and how these views have changed over time. On display in particular are documents of reception: publications, exhibition catalogues, art historical contributions, photographs by contemporaries and research tools such as the catalogue raisonné and its complex fate.
A special highlight is the digital presentation of Corinth's sketchbooks at a media station. These come from the collection of the Ostdeutsche Galerie Regensburg, which is compiling a scholarly catalogue raisonné as part of a partner exhibition ("Lovis Corinth - Bildrausch", 24 October 2025 to 18 January 2026).
The exhibition invites visitors to focus not only on the artist Corinth, but also on the processes that made him a significant figure in art history over the course of time. It thus also critically reflects on the role of art history itself in the construction of cultural memory.

Last edited on 27.10.2025