Self-Portrait with Raised Fist 1914

Maximilian Klewer made this self-portrait with raised fist in 1914, and it's intense, right? The limited colour palette, mostly monochrome with a splash of yellow, really throws the focus onto the raw emotion. It's like he's capturing a moment of pure, unfiltered expression. Looking closely, the texture and the physicality of the medium are so evident, aren't they? See the way he's rendered the folds of his shirt, or the clenched fist, ready for action. It feels like Klewer isn't just painting an image, he's also painting an action, a moment of defiance. There’s a beautiful tension between the controlled mark-making and the explosive energy of the subject, the angular lines versus the open mouth, and it reminds me of some of those early expressionist guys like Kirchner. But it also has its own unique voice. It makes you wonder what he was fighting for, or against, back then.