Portrait of Marzynski 1922

Curator: Here we have Max Liebermann's "Portrait of Marzynski," housed right here at the Harvard Art Museums. It's an etching, measuring about 11 by 9 inches. Editor: There’s a haunting quality to it, wouldn't you say? The stark lines give him a melancholic air, almost as if he's peering out from another era. Curator: Liebermann, born in 1847, was known for his portraits that captured the essence of his subjects. Look at the way he uses light and shadow. It’s as if he's mapping the very character of Marzynski through those lines. Editor: Absolutely. The composition itself, though minimal, directs your gaze right to the face. It speaks to a deeper psychological investigation, doesn't it? Liebermann uses a limited technique to say so much. Curator: It does make you wonder who Marzynski was. What was his story? I am left to imagine a man who lived and breathed the same air as we do now. Editor: Yes, perhaps that's the magic of portraiture, isn't it? To bridge time and provoke a sense of shared humanity.