Self-Portrait 1922

Editor: Here we have a woodcut, "Self-Portrait" by Max Beckmann. The strong lines give it a very serious, almost severe, mood. How do you interpret this work? Curator: It’s Beckmann laying bare his soul, I think. Those stark contrasts, the almost brutal carving, it's him wrestling with the world, and with himself. See how his gaze is both direct and averted? He's facing us, yet lost in thought, almost as if to say, "I'm here, but also somewhere else entirely." Editor: That makes sense, I hadn't thought about the duality of his expression. Curator: Exactly. Beckmann doesn’t give easy answers; he asks us to look closer, to feel the tension. And the woodcut medium is just perfect for that raw, unflinching honesty. It's him, stripped down. Editor: I see that now! Thanks for opening my eyes to this fascinating artist.