Portrait of Prof. Herxheimer 1911

Editor: This is Ottilie Roederstein's "Portrait of Prof. Herxheimer," painted in 1911. It’s oil on canvas, and seeing it in person, it has this immediate sense of dignified restraint, don’t you think? I’m struck by how direct his gaze is, almost challenging. What stands out to you? Curator: You're spot on about the restraint. For me, it's the *almost* imperceptible brushstrokes that pull me in. There’s a gentleness that undercuts the formal attire. It’s as if Roederstein is showing us the public persona and hinting at a hidden interior life, wouldn’t you agree? A life, mind you, undoubtedly full of heated debates over…skin! After all, that Prof. Herxheimer was *the* dermatologist. Do you notice how his gaze suggests a deep understanding, but of what? Editor: That's interesting. The gentle brushstrokes, I hadn't quite clocked that amidst the dark suit and stark collar. He does look like he's about to either diagnose you or deliver a particularly dry lecture. Is that maybe Roederstein commenting on the societal roles of the time? The constraints? Curator: Constraints indeed! Perhaps Roederstein felt them too. I imagine as a woman artist navigating the early 20th century, she felt every gaze scrutinize *her*. And what did *she* see as she set out to capture Herxheimer. She does this marvellous thing in subverting the male gaze through its gentle and, well, forgiving re-enactment. Almost like the Professor’s likeness emerges as the final layer on skin undergoing analysis in a quiet lab. A perfect synthesis of artistic skill with something I sense to be rather profound understanding between artist and sitter. What is your own reading of it now? Editor: That’s a fantastic point, repositioning the act of portraiture itself. The 'quiet lab' image really resonates. I'm now seeing so many layers that weren't apparent at first glance – Roederstein’s empathy and quiet revolution within a seemingly conventional portrait. It's a conversation, not just an image. Curator: Precisely, a continuing one. The real pleasure emerges once the conversations multiply, and begin to echo, bounce and reflect one another!