Selbstbildnis (Self-Portrait) 1920

Lovis Corinth made this self-portrait in 1920 with what looks like charcoal, and it's a real window into his soul, don’t you think? I imagine Corinth grabbing a stick of charcoal, maybe a bit worn down from use, and attacking the page. There's a restless energy in the marks, hatching furiously to catch the light on his face. I feel like he wasn’t trying to flatter himself. He’s digging in, trying to see who he really is. The lines around the eyes are deep, suggesting weariness, but there’s also this incredible intensity, like he’s challenging you to meet his gaze. It reminds me a little of some of Kokoschka's portraits, that same unflinching look at the human condition. It’s like Corinth is having a conversation with himself through the charcoal, each stroke a thought, a feeling, a revelation. He is showing us that painting is a dance with the unknown.