Self-Portrait with Beard 1886

Lovis Corinth sketched this Self-Portrait with Beard using red chalk. The composition emphasizes a raw and immediate portrayal of the artist. Corinth captures his likeness with a network of lines that seem to vibrate across the paper. The face is rendered with a detailed application of hatching and cross-hatching, creating a sense of depth and volume. Yet, the body dissolves into the background with only the barest suggestion of form. This contrast draws our attention to the artist’s gaze, which meets ours directly and unflinchingly. The use of red chalk is particularly significant. Its warmth humanizes the subject, while its inherent dryness and fragility mirror the fleeting nature of self-perception. The sketch is thus not just a representation, but an exploration of the self as a constantly evolving process.