Reichspräsident Ebert (1919–1925)

Made a year before Corinth's death, this drypoint depicts the first Chancellor and first President of the Weimar Republic, Friedrich Ebert, who stands nonchalantly smoking a cigarette, hands in his pockets. The quick, sketchy drypoint lines are characteristic of Corinth's work after 1911, when he suffered a stroke that hindered his ability to paint or serve in the war. Ebert, a member of the Social Democratic Party, had pushed strongly for war in 1914, and is credited with the founding of democracy in Germany. However, his compromises with the right led many to believe he was responsible for the weakness of the Republic.