Male Head 1917

Curator: This powerful sculpture, simply titled "Male Head," is the work of Karl Schmidt-Rottluff. I’m immediately struck by its somber mood. Editor: Yes, there's a weightiness to it, both literal in its carved wood and figurative in the subject’s expression. It feels intensely private, almost burdened. Curator: Absolutely. Schmidt-Rottluff was a key figure in the Expressionist movement, and here, we see that raw emotion channeled through the angular carving and simplified features. There's a clear influence from African art, particularly in the emphasis on essential forms. Editor: Expressionism's project of confronting the alienation of modern life finds voice in this piece. There's a dehumanization, too. The almost complete effacement of the eyes renders the figure anonymous, perhaps even complicit. Curator: It’s interesting that you see complicity. I see a struggle, an attempt at stoicism perhaps. Editor: Well, perhaps complicity is too harsh. But there is a feeling of suppressed knowledge, of something withheld. In this way, it expresses an element of social critique and psychological depth. Curator: This has given me a lot to think about. Editor: Me too. It’s a piece that speaks volumes without uttering a single word.