Selbstbildnis (Self-Portrait) 1921 - 1922

This is a self-portrait, etched by Lovis Corinth. Just imagine him, bent over the plate, a needle in his hand, digging into the metal. Look at the nervous energy of the lines; they create a face out of shadow, the eyes dark pits. What was he feeling as he looked at himself in the mirror? Did he like what he saw, or was he trying to capture something deeper, something hidden beneath the surface? I feel like I can see him wrestling with the image, trying to pin it down but also letting it be, letting the accidents happen. The whole thing shimmers with uncertainty, the dark lines creating a sense of unease, but also a kind of raw honesty. It reminds me of some of the early expressionist prints, where the artists were really pushing the boundaries of what printmaking could do. Artists like Corinth are in constant dialogue. Each mark informs the next, and that’s how we push each other forward.