Self Portrait 1925

Curator: This is Walter Gramatté's "Self Portrait," housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: Immediately, I notice the raw texture—almost like scarred parchment. The rough lines give it a haunted quality. Curator: Gramatté, who died tragically young, often explored themes of inner turmoil. The etching process itself, with its acid baths and careful scraping, feels apt. Editor: Absolutely. Think about the physicality of it, the copper plate, the labor…it wasn't just conjured from thin air. It's etched into existence. Curator: Yes, and there's a vulnerability in laying oneself bare in such a permanent way, don't you think? Editor: It's less about beauty and more about the frank realities of being. The materials and the process mirror that truth. Curator: A somber reflection, beautifully wrought from such tangible means. Editor: Exactly. It makes me think differently about process—both artistic and existential.