Butcher Store in Schäftlarn on the Isar (German: Schlachterladen in Schäftlarn an der Isar) is a painting by the German painter Lovis Corinth from 1897. The picture shows a scene from the store of a butchers in Schäftlarn near Munich. It is held in the Kunsthalle Bremen.
The painting belongs to a series of genre paintings by Corinth that explore the theme of slaughterhouses and butcher stores, which appear several times in his complete works. These butcher and meat drawings are widely seen by art historians as a means for Corinth to process his childhood memories as the son of a tanner, often drawing comparisons and connections to the artist's nude paintings.
Description The painting is an oil painting on canvas. It is 69 cm high, 87 cm wide, and signed in black paint on the upper right edge of the picture in two lines: "Lovis Corinth 1897".
The image depicts a scene in a butcher shop. A smiling young man stands in a room with a bowl of meat pieces in the foreground, in front of a counter with a meat scale hanging from it. Several slaughtered pigs, as well as various chunks of flesh and animal heads, are hung on the bar and on the wall. The background portrays the interior of a butcher shop, with shades of green and brown dominating the palette. A window in the back lets in natural light, revealing foliage behind it. The painting is divided into two equal halves by two arched bays. The slaughtered animals hung on the wall, as well as the chunks of meat on the counter and in the young man's bowl, appear to be illuminated by another light source in the front.
Horst Uhr's interpretation suggests that the dark-toned background creates a striking contrast with the vibrant, multi-colored pieces of meat displayed on the counter and wall. Through the glossy sheen of the paint, the artist achieves a greasy texture on the flesh. Furthermore, the existence of vaults visually balances the painting's composition, effectively dividing the artwork. This interplay between the red pieces of meat and the rack adds to the overall balance of the scene. Lucia Klee-Beck emphasizes the "strict composition of the painting" with the centrally placed table that symmetrically divides the field of view into a back wall area with whole animal carcasses hanging from it and a front counter area with pre-cut chunks of meat. The foreshortening of perspective is reinforced by the staggering of the pieces according to their diminishing size from right to left toward the window. Hans-Jürgen Imiela characterizes the painting as a glimpse into a low-vaulted room with eviscerated animals and carcass fragments in the front. In this front area, a boy stands, gazing outward, while holding a trough filled with meat pieces. Notably, the illumination from the window in the background plays a significant role. It creates a distinct backlight effect, further enhancing the overall impact of the image.
Origin and classification in the work of Corinth Chronological classification
At the end of his studies at the Academy of Fine Arts, Munich, Lovis Corinth painted the picture Schlachterladen in Schäftlarn an der Isar in 1897. Corinth studied painting at the Kunstakademie Königsberg and the Academy of Fine Arts, Munich, before spending almost three years between 1884 and 1887 at the Académie Julian in Paris, where he was primarily influenced by the neoclassical works of Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres and by the Impressionism and Pointillism of contemporary French art. William Adolphe Bouguereau and Joseph Nicolas Robert-Fleury were his professors at the time. Corinth was an active participant in the Paris art scene throughout his tenure there, visiting the Salon de Paris, the Paris galleries, and also the museums such as the Louvre. In 1887, Corinth returned to Munich, inspired by the work Die Wilderer (The Poachers) by Wilhelm Leibl exhibited at the Kunstsalon Georges Petit.
Corinth produced one of his best-known works in Munich, Self-Portrait with Skeleton in 1896, and with other works from this period, Corinth established himself in the local art scene in Munich as well as nationally.
At this time, one of Corinth's focuses was on the nude scenes in historical contexts. Thus, in the same year as Schlachterladen in Schäftlarn an der Isar, he also created paintings such as die Versuchung des heiligen Antonius ("The Temptation of St. Anthony"), Susanna und die beiden Alten ("Susanna and the Two Old Men"), and Die Hexen ("The Witches"), as well as portraits such as the portrait of the painter Otto Eckmann.
Corinth experienced a significant breakthrough during this period with his renowned work Salome, completed in 1900. In a historical context, this painting depicts Salome, the daughter of Herodias, holding the severed head of John the Baptist. Inspired by Oscar Wilde's literary model, the painting received immense recognition. However, as it was not permitted for display at the Munich Secession, Corinth entrusted the artwork to Walter Leistikow in Berlin, who accepted it for exhibition at the Berlin Secession. The triumph of Salome prompted Corinth to relocate to Berlin shortly thereafter, seeking new opportunities and inspiration in the city's vibrant art scene.
Content Schlachterladen in Schäftlarn an der Isar is a highly recognized genre painting by Corinth, focusing on the theme of slaughter. It is among his most renowned works in this genre. Corinth explored this theme in a total of 14 paintings, along with numerous sketches and prints. One such example is Geschlachtetes Schwein ("Slaughtered Pig") from 1906, which can be found in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
The representation and depiction of slaughterhouse scenes and images of meat can be traced back to the early origins of painting. This can be seen in the hunting scenes depicted in cave paintings. Some of the earliest surviving depictions of domestic animal slaughter can be found in ancient Egypt, such as the relief carvings in the Mastaba of Ti, which date back to r 2400 roughly BC during the 5th Dynasty of the Old Kingdom. This theme continued to be explored in various cultures throughout history. Examples include its presence in Greek vase paintings,Kurt Nagel, Benno P. Schlipf: Das Fleischerhandwerk in der bildenden Kunst. Kunstgeschichte des Fleischerhandwerks. Verlag C.F. Rees, Heidenheim 1982; pp. 58–59. Roman Empire reliefs, and even up to modern times.Kurt Nagel, Benno P. Schlipf: Das Fleischerhandwerk in der bildenden Kunst. Kunstgeschichte des Fleischerhandwerks. Verlag C.F. Rees, Heidenheim 1982; pp. 59–61. Long before Corinth, the idea was picked up and depicted in Baroque and Rococo paintings, especially in Italian and Dutch art. During the 16th century, painters like Pieter Aertsen from the Netherlands and Annibale Carracci from Italy created numerous artworks featuring meat pieces and animal halves displayed in butcher shops. Rembrandt van Rijn, a renowned Dutch artist, also explored this theme. His well-known painting, Geschlachteter Ochse ("Slaughtered Ox") from 1655, is housed in the Louvre Museum in Paris. Corinth was familiar with Rembrandt's work and followed in the footsteps of this art historical tradition, influenced by his time in Paris. Furthermore, Corinth's contemporaries, including François Bonvin with his Das Schwein -Hof des Schlachters ("The Pig-The Butcher's Farm") from 1874, Max Liebermann with his Schlächterladen in Dordrecht ("Butcher store in Dordrecht") from 1877, and Max Slevogt with Geschlachtetes Schwein ("Slaughtered pig") from 1906, also tackled the theme of slaughterhouse scenes, further contributing to its artistic exploration during that period.
Corinth's childhood connection to the butcher's trade led him to engage more profoundly and extensively with the subject matter. Gert von der Osten notes that Corinth had already completed his cattle and butcher scenes before 1890.Gert von der Osten: Lovis Corinth. Verlag F. Bruckmann, München 1955; pp. 50–51. In 1892, he began painting the first series of slaughterhouse scenes, including Schlachterei ("Butcher Shop"), Kühe im Stall ("Cows in the Stable"), and the initial version of Geschlachteter Ochse ("Slaughtered Ox").
In 1893, Corinth created one of his better-known paintings, Im Schlachthaus ("In the Slaughterhouse"). This painting, along with Schlachthauszene ("Slaughterhouse Scene") from the same year, portrays an animal slaughter taking place in a dimly lit cellar room. The scene depicts five butchers engaged in the process of disemboweling and skinning a slaughtered animal. Four of the butchers are aggressively working on the carcass using various tools, while another stands behind a bowl filled with offal, rolling up his sleeves. The painting skillfully captures the atmosphere and intensity of skinning a slaughtered ox.Kurt Nagel, Benno P. Schlipf: Das Fleischerhandwerk in der bildenden Kunst. Kunstgeschichte des Fleischerhandwerks. Verlag C.F. Rees, Heidenheim 1982; pp. 122–123. Andrea Bärnreuther observes that the painting "celebrates the drama of the antagonism between flesh and death." She suggests that a "struggle on two fronts" is occurring within the artwork. On one side, the group of journeymen butchers in the foreground are depicted working their way into the picture, and the animal, from the front right. On the other side, there is a sense of tension created by the butcher positioned behind the animal on the left. In her description, Bärnreuther highlights the contrasting movements depicted in these scenes, which emerge through the play of light. The light, entering through a background window, emits from the "escaping life," according to her interpretation, and symbolically "unifies the victim and perpetrator in a shared act." The animal body serves as the focal point of the image and the action taking place. Additionally, the presence of bloody and slippery pools on the slaughterhouse floor contributes to a "sultry atmosphere" that evokes sensations beyond mere visual perception.
Friedrich Gross defines the room in the painting as a "cavernous cellar space." The presence of a bright green light, filtered through foliage and cast through a barred window, emphasizes the prison-like appearance of the scene. The use of wild and disruptive brushstrokes further highlights the violent nature of the slaughter. The use of white and red brushstrokes is not confined to specific areas but spreads indiscriminately across the carcass, the butchers, the flesh, the skin, and even the walls. Till Schoofs underlined the painting's distinction from other works of the time: "The energetic broad brushstroke and sketchy character of the painting differ from Corinth's contemporaneous academic paintings and must have been created in an almost feverish flurry of movement." Geschlachtete Kälber ("Slaughtered Calves"), painted in 1896, focuses once again on the depiction of suspended carcasses of slaughtered animals within the slaughterhouse setting. On the other hand, Schlachterladen in Schäftlarn an der Isar approaches the butcher scene from a different perspective. It presents viewers with a glimpse into the typical atmosphere of a butcher's store during the turn of the century.