Portrait of Ferruccio Busoni
1916
Max Oppenheimer, known to his friends as 'MOPP,' didn't just paint portraits; he captured the chaotic energy of his subjects. In this 1916 sketch of composer Ferruccio Busoni, the lines explode around the composer's head like a musical storm, a classic move of the Expressionist movement. You can spot the 'MOPP' signature at the bottom—the artist was famous for sitting in cafes and quickly sketching famous faces. It looks like Busoni is listening to a symphony only he can hear, ignoring the fact that the world was in the middle of a war.
- Technique
- pencil sketch
- Material
- paper