Langwerpig geabstraheerd gezicht met open mond 1923

Erich Wichmann made this lithograph, titled 'Langwerpig geabstraheerd gezicht met open mond,' or 'Elongated abstract face with open mouth,' sometime before his death in 1929. Wichmann was a Dutch artist whose life was marked by both artistic exploration and personal turmoil. This abstract face seems to speak to the anxieties of the interwar period. The elongated features and the open mouth might evoke a sense of shock or silent scream, reflecting the widespread disillusionment in the aftermath of World War I. Wichmann, who was briefly associated with the Dada movement, would have been familiar with the ways that artists were challenging traditional forms to express the fractured realities of modern life. It is hard to ignore the inscription at the bottom of the image, though what it means is opaque to us today. This work seems to express a deep sense of alienation, both reflecting and anticipating the complex societal issues of the time.