Porträt Frau Behn

Lovis Corinth's Porträt Frau Behn (Portrait of Mrs. Behn, 1886) is an early commissioned portrait from his Paris period — demonstrating that even as a student he was receiving portrait commissions alongside his academic studies. The ability to produce convincing likenesses quickly and confidently was a practical skill that Paris training both required and developed. Corinth's early portraits show his natural aptitude for psychological characterization, the directness and vigor that would make him one of Germany's most sought-after portrait painters.

The portrait of Frau Behn shows Corinth applying his academic training to the demands of a portrait commission: accurate likeness, appropriate formal conventions, the specific handling of female dress and accessories. His palette in this early commissioned work is warm and academic — carefully controlled in its pursuit of flattering yet honest representation. The handling shows his characteristic directness even within the more careful approach required by commissioned portraiture.