Zelfportret 1913 - 1945

This self-portrait by Henk Henriët, made with graphite on paper, is all about seeing. The artist is trying to figure out who he is, and how he looks, by drawing himself. Look at how Henriët uses the pencil to build up the image, with layers and layers of marks that create shadows and depth. The texture of the paper comes through, giving it a raw, unfinished feel. It's like you can see the artist thinking, erasing, and rethinking as he goes. The lines around the eyes especially catch my attention, they almost seem to vibrate with a kind of nervous energy. They give the face a real sense of presence. Henriët reminds me of other artists who were exploring similar territory at that time, like Egon Schiele, who used self-portraiture as a way to delve into the inner self. The beauty of art is that it allows us to see the world, and ourselves, in new ways.