Autorretrato 1924

Carmen Osés Hidalgo made this self-portrait in 1924 using what looks like charcoal and maybe a touch of pastel. The drawing is all about touch, isn't it? The marks are so delicate, almost like she's feeling her way across the paper, trying to capture her own likeness. There's a lightness to it, a sense of impermanence. Look at the way she's rendered the skin, those soft, smudged tones of grey and pink. It’s a real contrast to the more assertive strokes that define her hair. I’m drawn to the lips, that small spot of bold red. The mouth looks pursed, as if she's holding back a smile, or maybe deep in thought. The overall effect is intimate, vulnerable, and very human. This reminds me of other female artists of the time, like Paula Modersohn-Becker, who were also exploring new ways of representing themselves and their inner worlds. It’s like a quiet conversation across time, a shared understanding of what it means to be a woman and an artist.