Zelfportret
1922
Max Beckmann stared into the mirror and saw the scars of a world torn apart by World War I, resulting in this intense 1922 self-portrait. As a leading figure of German Expressionism, he didn't want to look pretty; he wanted to look real. The sharp, jagged lines carve up his face like a wooden mask, emphasizing the heavy bags under his eyes and the stern set of his jaw. It's a raw, unflinching look at an artist who produced over 80 self-portraits throughout his life, using his own face to process the chaos of the 20th century.
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