Crucified. Study of the Calvary triptych for the vestry of the John the Baptist Churchin in Tapiau, 1892

Lovis Corinth (1858–1925) explores the motif of the crucified in this drawing. While three figures are done in a very sketchy style, the central figure is completely detailed in a naturalistic manner. The presence of the male nude model is still palpable her, and not yet that of the exalted figure of Christ nailed to the cross. This sheet of studies showing two variations of the head bent to the side probably served as a model for a crucifixion triptych executed later which Corinth donated to the church in his native town of Tapiau, East Prussia (today Gvardeysk, Russia). The great temporal distance between the making of the drawing and the execution of the painting suggests the use of older study material. The triptych has been lost since 1945 and is known only from amateur photos.

AK, 2021