Self-Portrait 1910

This self-portrait by Umberto Boccioni at The Met is wrought with nervous, scratchy marks. I imagine Boccioni hunched over this small piece of paper, obsessively hatching lines, building up tone, and chasing his own likeness. You know, as a painter myself, I often wonder about the inner lives of other artists, especially when they turn the mirror on themselves. What was Boccioni thinking as he rendered his own face with such intensity? There’s an undeniable anxiety in those tightly packed lines, a sense of urgency, maybe even a struggle. Looking at the concentration of marks around the eyes and forehead, I feel Boccioni’s gaze questioning himself. Self-portraiture can be such an act of self-interrogation. I wonder if Boccioni's mark making was an effort to pin himself down or to get to know himself better. Either way, this drawing is a poignant glimpse into the artist's soul.