Fyodor Pavlovich Examines His Bruises (Book VIII: Mitya, facing p.308) 1949

Fritz Eichenberg made this etching, 'Fyodor Pavlovich Examines His Bruises', for a book, probably using traditional methods. Look at all those tiny marks creating areas of light and dark, which come together to give a sense of form and texture. You can imagine Eichenberg working on the plate, pushing the tool, and wiping away the residue to create this image. I wonder what he was thinking, or what he had read, that made him want to make this particular image? I get the sense of a man at odds with himself, a self-portrait emerging from the depths of his subconscious. The intense scrutiny suggests introspection, yet the almost grotesque features reflected in the mirror hint at a deeper, more troubling aspect of self-awareness. It's a bit like peering into the looking glass and seeing something unexpected staring back. Like all interesting art, it's the image of someone investigating their own thoughts. We've all been there.