Self-Portrait II 1955

Jirí Balcar created this etching titled *Self-Portrait II* in 1955. It presents a stark image of the artist set against a backdrop of abstract lines and a row of small, almost cartoonish, faces at the bottom. Made in Czechoslovakia during a period of Soviet influence, the work has a probing, almost confrontational gaze. The heavy shadows and stark lines can be understood as a reflection of the anxieties and uncertainties of life behind the Iron Curtain. Is it possible the figures at the bottom of the etching represent society looking up to the artist? The self-portrait also has a strong sense of introspection, with Balcar using the printmaking medium to explore his own identity. The image has a potent reminder of the artist's struggle for self-expression in an environment of political constraints. Looking at work like this, we can use historical resources to better understand how the social and institutional contexts shaped artistic production in Eastern Europe during the Cold War.