Self-Portrait c. 20th century

Editor: Here we have Max Slevogt's Self-Portrait, currently residing at the Harvard Art Museums. It's an etching, seemingly quite small. I'm struck by the rough quality of the lines. What can you tell me about this portrait? Curator: Let's consider the material conditions of its making. Etching, an accessible printmaking process, allowed for wider circulation. Slevogt, presenting himself, controls his own image and its dissemination. This challenges conventional portraiture commissioned by the elite. Editor: So, the choice of etching democratizes the self-portrait? Curator: Precisely. It shifts the power from patron to artist, aligning the act of creation with self-representation and wider consumption. Think of the labor involved, the materials used, and the intended audience. Editor: I see how the medium itself becomes a statement about artistic agency. Thanks! Curator: Indeed, a fascinating intersection of self and production.