Selbstbildnis (Self-Portrait) Possibly 1920

This is Max Liebermann’s self-portrait, likely made with charcoal or conté crayon. Look at the mark-making here, the way he's built up the form of his hat and face with these confident, smudgy strokes. To me, that’s what drawing is all about: a process of discovery, of finding a form through repeated gestures. The texture created by the crayon on paper gives the image a wonderful sense of immediacy. It’s like we’re right there with Liebermann, watching him work. He’s captured his likeness with such economy, hasn’t he? I’m drawn to the area around his eye, how the dark scribbles suggest depth and shadow. It reminds me of some of Käthe Kollwitz’s prints, or even the raw energy of the German Expressionists. It's like art is this ongoing conversation, where artists riff off each other across time. There's no one right way to interpret this piece, and that's the beauty of it.