Selbstbildnis im Strohhut (Self-Portrait in a Straw Hat) 1913

This is a self-portrait by Lovis Corinth, made with etching on paper. The controlled chaos of the lines here suggests an artist grappling with his own image, trying to pin it down but also letting it breathe. Look at the concentration of marks around the face, like he's really digging in to understand who he is. The lines are confident but also kind of frantic, especially in the hat. It reminds me of the way we look in the mirror sometimes, not really seeing ourselves but feeling around for something familiar. The way he holds the paper, or is it a mirror? I wonder if that's a reference to something like Durer. The process is right there on the surface. Artists like Corinth and Durer remind us that art is always in conversation with itself. It's never about finding the right answer, but about keeping the questions alive.