Self-Portrait 1915

Mathilde Battenberg made this oil on canvas self-portrait, sometime in the early 20th century. Look how she’s working with these soft, blended tones, creating form through subtle shifts in value. It’s a delicate dance of light and shadow, a real testament to the artist's close observation. I’m really drawn to the way the paint is applied; it's neither too thick nor too thin. There’s a gentle layering, a kind of building up of the image. It’s particularly evident in the face where you can almost feel the artist carefully considering each plane and contour. And that palette in her hand? It's not just a prop, it’s a window into her process, her way of thinking through color and form. I see echoes of artists like Paula Modersohn-Becker, in Battenberg's work, especially in the way both artists approached self-portraiture with such directness and honesty. Art’s an ongoing conversation, right?