Zelfportret met snor 1915

Jan Mankes made this self-portrait with a mustache using etching. It’s a small, intimate work, and you can almost feel him hunched over the plate, carefully scratching away at the surface, his breath held as he captures his own likeness. You can see Mankes’ focus in the intensity of his eyes. I imagine him peering into the mirror, his gaze shifting back and forth between his reflection and the etching needle in his hand. The lines are so delicate, so precise, yet there's a certain vulnerability to the sketch. There’s an earnestness that reminds me of other self-portraits, like Rembrandt's, where the artist confronts himself, unvarnished. These artists are kindred spirits trying to capture not just a likeness, but a sense of self. They are all contributing to the ongoing conversation that is art.