Self-portrait with a camellia branch c. 1906 - 1907

Editor: So, this is Paula Modersohn-Becker’s "Self-portrait with a camellia branch" from around 1906. Painted with oil on canvas. There’s something almost haunting about it…a sort of quiet intensity. What do you see in this piece, particularly with your expertise in symbolism? Curator: The first thing that strikes me is the camellia itself. Throughout various periods, this flower has served as a symbol of purity, longevity, and in some contexts, even death, a duality which already hints at a rich inner life being represented. In Victorian times, giving a camellia could mean ‘my destiny is in your hands’, a quiet submission but, given this is a self-portrait, it almost feels like Modersohn-Becker is contemplating her own destiny. Do you agree? Editor: I do, now that you point that out! But I didn't know it carried such heavy weight. The branch being held right in front of the sternum is suggestive of her own heart… perhaps revealing a conscious embrace of what lay ahead. The way she's holding it almost feels like it's tethered to her existence... Curator: Absolutely. Consider the starkness of the background – a near monochrome blue. This serves to strip away distractions, forcing us to engage with the figure and the symbols presented. Blue is, of course, heavily linked to ideas of sadness, but also fidelity and stability; consider how the subject is almost cradling a symbol of their future... Does that speak to you? Editor: Yes, absolutely. It's almost as though she's steeling herself. Thanks, I feel I'm appreciating the depth of expression layered here. Curator: And I feel, together, we've illuminated another fragment of the enduring symbolic legacy Paula Modersohn-Becker left for us.