Self-Portrait after an Illness, from the portfolio "Seven Etchings by Lovis Corinth" 1912

Editor: This is Lovis Corinth’s "Self-Portrait after an Illness," an etching, and it’s intensely personal. The scratchy lines and somber expression feel really raw. What do you read in this portrait? Curator: Raw is the word, isn’t it? It’s almost as if he’s etching his vulnerability directly onto the plate. The intense gaze, the visible weariness…it makes me wonder, what is he trying to communicate beyond just physical appearance? Editor: Maybe he's showing us that illness strips away our facades? Curator: Precisely. It's a reflection on mortality, on the artist’s humanity laid bare. An interesting contrast to how artists usually portrayed themselves, wouldn't you say? Editor: It's definitely made me think about the relationship between art and personal experience. Curator: Me too, a profound and brave etching, indeed.