Caption

Double Self-Portrait, Leon Kaufmann (Kamir; 1872–1933). 1900. Drawing, pastel; 105 × 47.5 cm. Depicts a 'double' self-portrait reflecting late-19th-century decadent spirit: an artist torn between creative fulfillment and an inability to act. A seated, melancholic Kaufmann is shown with an ironically smiling double standing behind him—two halves of a soul, one sardonic and cynical. Kaufmann left an unsketched strip of exposed cardboard at the bottom as a compositional element and placed the signature above that empty area to avoid dominance. The drawing was incised with a thin line using the sharp end of a stick on a delicate ground of pastel; shadows and highlights were applied with thicker colored crayon to produce a painterly effect. The warm color range is integrated by the color of the exposed or translucent cardboard.

Credit line

Photo12/Liszt Collection

Reference

LZT26A74_357

License type

Rights managed

Available size

35.8Mb (6.0Mb) / 8.1in x 17.2in / 2425 x 5160 (300dpi)

Keywords

Double Self-Portrait Leon Kaufmann Kamir 1872–1933 1900 Drawing pastel Depicts double self-portrait reflecting late-19th-century decadent spirit artist torn creative fulfillment inability act seated melancholic Kaufmann shown ironically smiling double standing two halves soul sardonic cynical Kaufmann left unsketched strip exposed cardboard bottom compositional element placed signature empty area avoid dominance drawing was incised thin line using sharp stick delicate ground shadows highlights applied thicker colored crayon produce painterly effect warm color range integrated color exposed translucent cardboard framed sepia-toned showing young man leaning forward arms resting back wooden chair face turned slightly hand touching head figure wears light-colored shirt dark hair mustache focused expression drawing also contains fainter secondary portrait man higher paper ghostlike less detailed tan brown aged appearance darker brown shading subtle smudges frame wooden warm brown amber tones.