Self-Portrait c. 1917 - 1928

This bronze self-portrait was made by Egon Schiele, who lived between 1890 and 1918. It's this intense object, full of raw expression. The surface is so worked, so rugged, you can almost feel Schiele attacking the material, wrestling with his own image. Look at the way the light catches those rough edges, the deep furrows around the eyes. It’s not just a face; it's a landscape of emotion, a map of a troubled mind. The patina, all these dark browns and grays, it adds to the sense of drama. It’s heavy, like a weight. The closed eyes are interesting. In contrast to his paintings, famous for their intense gaze, here he seems turned inward. There's something very vulnerable and exposed about that. Like he's confronting himself, not us. You can see echoes of Rodin in the way the surface is handled, but Schiele brings his own brand of angst and intensity. What a conversation! What an image!