Autorretrato com chapéu-coco
1921
Max Beckmann stares out with wide, haunted eyes in this intense 1921 self-portrait, wearing a bowler hat that sits on his head like a heavy, dark helmet rather than a fashion accessory. Created in the chaotic aftermath of World War I, this Expressionist piece captures the deep anxiety of the era, with strange, shadowy figures and what looks like a violin neck looming behind him like ghosts. Beckmann, who served as a medical orderly during the war and suffered a nervous breakdown, used this jagged, scratchy style to reveal the psychological trauma of a shattered world. It is a far cry from a cheerful selfie—this is a man looking straight into the abyss!
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