Self-portrait in profile 1917

This self-portrait in profile was made by Gustav Schraegle with ink on paper, and there's such an incredible sense of immediacy to the marks. Schraegle’s lines are urgent, searching. You can almost feel the artist’s hand moving across the paper. Look at the way the dense, swirling lines build up to describe the hair, how the ink sits on the paper, creating a visual texture that's almost palpable. The lines around the neck are more tentative, less sure, creating a kind of vulnerability. But it’s the sharp, confident strokes defining the nose and jawline that really catch my eye, suggesting a strength of character, or perhaps, a carefully constructed facade. This drawing reminds me a little of some of the early self-portraits by Egon Schiele, especially in the raw, almost brutal honesty of the line. Ultimately, though, it stands alone as a compelling study of self, rendered with both precision and passion.