Artwork
Head in Profile
Head in Profile is an ink print by Walter Gramatté. It dates from 1923 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Walter Gramatté’s 1923 print, titled *Head in Profile*, combines etching and aquatint on a sheet of heavy‑woven paper. The image presents a sharply defined side view of a male head, illuminated from one side against an unadorned dark background. The composition is compact, focusing attention on the facial contour and the subtle tonal transitions that suggest depth without narrative detail.
Subject & Meaning
The portrait conveys an introspective mood, the angled light emphasizing the sitter’s features while the surrounding darkness isolates the figure. Gramatté’s interest in the uncanny and the inner life of his subjects is evident, reflecting a broader preoccupation with the psychological impact of personal hardship and the lingering effects of wartime experience that permeated his work.
Technique & Style
The print merges two intaglio processes: the etched lines define the outline of the head, while aquatint creates a range of soft gray washes that model the facial plane. This combination yields a contrast between crisp linear detail and atmospheric shading, characteristic of Gramatté’s approach to magic realism, where realistic observation meets a subtly altered, almost dream‑like surface.
History & Provenance
Created during Gramatté’s productive years in Berlin and Hamburg, the work aligns with the expressionist tendency toward emotional intensity and symbolic representation. It entered the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, where it is displayed among other prints by the artist, illustrating his contribution to early‑20th‑century German printmaking.
Artist & collection
Artist
Walter Gramatté (8 January 1897 in Berlin – 9 February 1929 in Hamburg) was a German expressionist painter who specialized in magic realism.
Self-Portrait in Front of Stairs (Selbst vor Treppe)
Tired Man (Self-Portrait)
Smiling Head, Self-portrait (Lächelnder Kopf, Selbstporträt)
Self-Portrait
Man in a Room, Self-portrait
Man at the Sea, Self-portrait (Mann am Meer, Selbstporträt)
Bust of a Young Man, Self-portrait (Knabenkopf, Selbstporträt)
The Couple, Self-Portrait with Wife (Das Paar, Selbstporträt mit Frau)
