Self Portrait 1917

This is Walter Gramatté's self-portrait, painted with oils. Look at how he builds the face with these strong, blocky strokes, almost like he’s carving it out of the darkness. I'm really drawn to the way Gramatté handles the paint, it's not trying to be smooth or perfect. Instead, it's all about these visible marks, the texture creating the form. See around the eyes, how dabs of color suggest the planes of the face, the shadow just right of his nose. It’s a face in the process of becoming. It's like he’s not just showing us what he looks like, but also how he sees himself, the struggle to capture something fleeting and real. You could compare him to someone like Beckmann, both trying to get at something raw and internal through the act of painting. These aren't polished surfaces; they’re honest attempts, full of doubt and maybe a little bit of hope.