Self-portrait 

Ida Teichmann created this self-portrait drawing with graphite on paper. Teichmann was born in Germany, and the cultural conventions for women artists there at the turn of the century were very strict. Access to formal art training was often limited, and female artists had to work hard to get their work shown in public. The intensity of her gaze and the stark realism of her drawing stand in contrast to the conventional view of women as passive objects. She confronts the viewer directly, unidealized and without adornment. Her hand supports her face, a pose suggesting contemplation. The lines of age are clearly visible, marking a life fully lived. To understand the cultural and institutional forces that affected Teichmann’s work, we might look into exhibition records from that period, which reveal a lot about the male-dominated art world. We might also look into the history of women's art education in Germany. This image shows us a world of social conventions.