Portrait des Malers Fritz Rumpf

Portrait des Malers Fritz Rumpf (1901), now in the Berlinische Galerie, depicts the German painter during Corinth's early Berlin period when he was establishing his reputation through a combination of large mythological canvases and intimate portraits of colleagues. Painting fellow artists was a recurring practice for Corinth—it allowed him to work with sitters who understood the demands of posing and who appreciated the result as craft rather than social obligation. The Berlinische Galerie holds this portrait as part of its documentation of Berlin's early twentieth-century artistic community, a network of mutual portraiture and professional solidarity that shaped the city's art world.

Strong tonal contrast defines the composition, with a relatively dark background making the illuminated face the dominant element. Brushwork is confident and economical in the clothing and setting, more sustained and nuanced in the face. The paint handling captures both the sitter's outward features and something of his inner character.