Manfred Georg: The Rebel 1918

Editor: So this etching is by Walter Gramatté, and it's titled "Manfred Georg: The Rebel." It looks like a theatrical scene. I find the figure dominating the foreground quite striking, but also a bit unsettling. What do you make of it? Curator: Unsettling is a good word. The distorted features and elongated form evoke a sense of anxiety, don't they? Gramatté often explored the inner turmoil of his subjects. It’s as if he’s captured Georg’s rebellious spirit, not just in posture, but in the very lines of the etching. Editor: That's a great point. It makes me think about the artist's own feelings and the subject's feelings, this internal conflict. Curator: Exactly! And it's the kind of thing that sticks with you long after you've moved on.