Half-Length Portrait of a Man (Brustbild eines bartlosen Mannes) 1913

Curator: Looking at this work, what strikes you first? Editor: The mood. There's a weight to it, a starkness created by the sharp lines. A melancholy, definitely. Curator: You’re right; it does possess a certain gravity. What we’re looking at is Edvard Munch’s etching from 1913, titled "Half-Length Portrait of a Man." Note that he preferred to make this drawing and print it himself. The original name for the image is Brustbild eines bartlosen Mannes. Editor: The raw intensity is classic Munch, even in a medium as traditionally detailed as etching. Do you see how the lines create depth and shadow, almost brutally? Curator: Precisely. The monochrome adds to the intensity; the stark contrast speaks volumes about the anxieties of the modern age. Expressionism tends to evoke the spiritual in many instances. The harsh lighting across half of the face only, is typical for portraying existential questions through art. Editor: Absolutely. The exposed half seems to be looking towards the future, as it remains the darker half. Do you think it a deliberate choice, this rendering of the artist's or the subject's face? Curator: I think the rough etching lends it the immediacy and the unfinished feel. Consider it more about portraying internal states rather than mere external appearance. It suggests vulnerability laid bare. What impact do you think this approach would have on the perception of portraiture in that time? Editor: This pushes against the traditional ideals of portraiture that serve as demonstrations of status or idealized representations. Instead, we're confronted with something deeply personal, and perhaps intentionally disturbing. The asymmetry makes this feel less an illustration of an individual and more of mankind. Curator: It mirrors the social and political unrest brewing then, don't you think? The portrait isn’t just an image of a man; it’s an exploration of early 20th-century identity under duress. Editor: You're right. Its lasting power lies in that universality, capturing feelings we recognize even today. A reminder of the shadows we all carry. Curator: A stark look at our humanity, unvarnished and unflinching.