Self-portrait on the 6th wedding anniversary
1906
Paula Modersohn-Becker broke major taboos with this 1906 self-portrait, depicting herself nude and pregnant long before it was socially acceptable for female artists to do so. Interestingly, she wasn't actually expecting a child when she painted this; it was a visionary statement about her desire for motherhood and artistic independence. The stylized, almost mask-like face and the patterned green background show her moving away from realistic representation toward the bold, emotional style of early Expressionism. Tragically, she died just a year later after actually giving birth, making this prophetic image even more poignant.
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