Self-portrait 1922

Curator: Here we have a woodcut print, a self-portrait by the German artist Max Beckmann. Editor: My initial reaction? Stern. Intensely so. The stark black lines, the furrowed brow... It's a face carved from granite. Curator: Beckmann lived through both World Wars. This piece, though undated, reflects a period of immense social and political turmoil in Germany. Editor: The deep cuts in the wood give such raw texture to the face. It's like he's etching his anxieties, his very soul, into the block. You can almost feel the pressure he applied. Curator: Indeed. Beckmann's work often grapples with themes of alienation and the search for meaning in a fractured world. Editor: He stares right through you, doesn't he? It's a brave act of self-examination, unflinching and brutally honest. Curator: This image challenges us to confront not only Beckmann's inner world but also the turbulent context that shaped his vision. Editor: Yes, art as mirror, reflecting ourselves, and the world, back at us. Still potent after all this time.