Self-Portrait c. 20th century

Editor: This is Gaston Lachaise’s Self-Portrait, a drawing held at the Harvard Art Museums. The rough lines give it a feeling of immediacy, almost confrontational. What do you see in this piece, beyond the surface? Curator: It's tempting to see Lachaise’s self-representation through a lens of masculine power. But consider the historical context: the rise of psychoanalysis and shifting ideas about the self. How does this drawing subvert or complicate traditional notions of portraiture and masculine identity? Editor: I hadn't thought about it that way, but now I see how he's almost deconstructing himself. Curator: Exactly. And given Lachaise's interest in the female form, especially his depictions of his wife, Isabel, might this self-portrait be an exploration of vulnerability rather than dominance? Editor: That's a really interesting perspective. I'll definitely look at his other works with that in mind.