Frontal Self-Portrait with House Gable in Background 1918

Max Beckmann made this self-portrait using drypoint, and the resulting print is like a direct transcription of his state of mind. You can see the process in the scratchy lines that build up the image, especially around the eyes and mouth, where the intensity is focused. The texture is raw. It feels like he attacked the plate with his tool, digging in deep to create those dark, velvety lines. Look at the way he's used cross-hatching to create shadows, like around his jawline. It’s almost brutal, but also incredibly intimate, like he's letting us see the workings of his mind. The way his lips are pursed, that furrowed brow, it all adds up to a feeling of defiance, or maybe just deep contemplation. Beckmann's self-portraits always feel like confrontations, and this one's no exception. You can see the influence of artists like Edvard Munch in the psychological intensity. But Beckmann takes it a step further, making the process itself a part of the meaning. It's not just about what he looks like, but how he sees himself, and how he wants us to see him. Art's always a conversation, right?