Self-Portrait with Beard 1886

Curator: Lovis Corinth gives us a peek into his soul with his "Self-Portrait with Beard." Editor: It’s striking how raw it feels, almost like a fleeting thought captured in sanguine chalk. You can almost feel the texture of the paper. Curator: Indeed, the medium lends itself to that immediacy. It's like he's sketching out not just his features, but the very act of self-reflection. Editor: Red chalk wasn’t unusual for underdrawings at the time, but here, it’s the finished work itself. Wonder what that says about the commodification of the sketch and the artist's labor. Curator: Perhaps he's hinting at the layers of artifice we apply to ourselves, even in a self-portrait. What is left for us to truly know of an artist's intentions? Editor: Or maybe he was simply short on materials that day! Either way, the sketchiness invites us to collaborate, to fill in the blanks. Curator: It's a tender reminder of the artistic process. Editor: Yes, it’s a reminder that even the most accomplished among us are perpetually works in progress.