Man at the Sea, Self-portrait (Mann am Meer, Selbstporträt)

1923

Walter Gramatté

Associated Names
Walter Gramatté

Artist, German, 1897 - 1929

The image shows the head and shoulders of a person against a backdrop resembling a landscape or sky. The person's head is slightly tilted to the left in a three-quarter stance. Their facial features are rendered with bold, expressive lines creating a stylized appearance with hair drawn in sweeping lines suggesting a parted style. The features include pronounced eyebrows, eyes, and mouth outlined with thick lines. The clothing appears to be textured fabric, possibly a collared shirt, indicated by intersecting lines forming a grid pattern. There are no visible jewelry or objects held by the person. The background features abstract floating shapes that may represent clouds or formations, with a field of color below suggesting water or land in shades of teal and white.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    etching and engraving, with black and green wiping

  • Credit Line

    Gift of Ruth Cole Kainen

  • Dimensions

    sheet: 53.5 × 38 cm (21 1/16 × 14 15/16 in.)
    plate: 25 × 24.2 cm (9 13/16 × 9 1/2 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2012.92.260

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Eckhardt 1932, no. 163

  • Series Title

    Das Gesicht

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

(Martin Sumers Graphics, New York); Ruth Cole Kainen [1922-2009], Washington, D.C. (Lugt 4739), purchased May 17, 1980; gift to NGA, 2012.

Associated Names

Bibliography

1932

  • Eckhardt, Ferdinand. Das graphische Werk von Walter Gramatte. Zurich: Amalthea-Verlag, 1932, no. 163.

Inscriptions

signed by artist, lower right under platemark, in graphite: Walter Gramatté / 22

Markings

stamp, center verso, in black ink: R

Wikidata ID

Q76556483

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