Self-Portrait 1908

Editor: So, here we have Richard Gerstl's "Self-Portrait" from 1908, done with pencil, graphite on paper, a flurry of lines really. I’m immediately struck by the intensity of his gaze, but also the raw, almost frantic energy of the mark-making. It's compelling, yet unsettling. What do you see in this piece? Curator: You know, it's interesting you use the word "frantic". Gerstl, poor chap, he lived an existence where emotions threatened to burst forth at any given moment! This portrait... It feels less like a depiction and more like an exorcism. Those restless, searching lines, are they mapping the topography of his inner turmoil, perhaps? I wonder if he's trying to capture not just *what* he looked like, but *how* he felt. Editor: An exorcism, wow. I hadn't thought of it that way. The way the shading is built up is interesting, almost masking half of his face, isn’t it? Was that intentional? Curator: Masking… yes! Isn't that always the thing with self-portraits? We show what we dare to reveal, hide what we’re ashamed to admit, even to ourselves. Perhaps that shadowed side represents the parts of himself he was struggling to confront. And the sharp lines! Like jagged edges! I wonder what thoughts chased through him as he put down each mark? Editor: I see what you mean about the conflicting forces being at play. I think I get a sense of his emotion. Curator: It’s interesting, isn't it, how a seemingly simple drawing can hold so much depth? Editor: Definitely gives you a lot to think about!