Head and Shoulders of Figure

1919-1920

Max Weber

Associated Names
Max Weber

Artist, American, born Russia (now Poland), 1881 - 1961

The image portrays a stylized portrait of a person with the upper body shown, focusing on the head and shoulders. The individual faces forward but is slightly tilted, with the head turned to the side. The facial features are abstract, with elongated eyes, a long nose, and a somber expression. The hair is not detailed but suggested by the shape around the head. The person appears to be wearing a headscarf or hood that flows down from the head, depicted in dark strokes against a light background. The rough texture and monochromatic palette create an expressive effect. The background is abstract and textured, framing the portrait. There are no visible objects or jewelry. The style resembles a woodcut or block print with high contrast and simplistic shapes.
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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    woodcut in black on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Gift of Jack and Margrit Vanderryn

  • Dimensions

    image: 10.6 x 4.9 cm (4 3/16 x 1 15/16 in.)
    sheet: 25.4 x 16.5 cm (10 x 6 1/2 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1997.128.11

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Rubenstein 2013, no. 24


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Jack and Margrit Vanderryn, Bethesda, Maryland; acquired 1997 by the National Gallery of Art

Associated Names

Exhibition History

2000

  • Max Weber's Modern Vision, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 2000.

Bibliography

1926

  • Weber, Max. Primitives: Poems and Woodcuts. New York: Spiral Press, 1926.

1956

  • Weber, Max. Woodcuts and Linoleum Blocks. New York: E. Weyhe, 1956.

2002

  • Burk, Efram L. "A Singular Vision: Max Weber's Artist Book, Primitives." Southeastern College Art Conference Review 14, no. 2 (2002): 127-136.

2013

  • Rubenstein, Daryl R. Max Weber: A Catalogue Raisonné of His Graphic Work. San Francisco: Alan Wofsy Fine Arts, 2013, pp. 174-178, no. 24.

Inscriptions

lower right in graphite: Max Weber

Wikidata ID

Q75407202

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