Artwork
Man at the Sea, Self-portrait (Mann am Meer, Selbstporträt)
Man at the Sea, Self-portrait (Mann am Meer, Selbstporträt) 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 *Man at the Sea, Self‑portrait* combines etching and engraving techniques, enhanced with areas of black and green wiping. Executed in Berlin, the work presents the artist’s own likeness positioned beside a sea that stretches into the distance.
Subject & Meaning
The composition shows a head and shoulders turned in profile, rendered with tangled, wave‑like lines that suggest wind‑tossed hair and clothing.
The composition shows a head and shoulders turned in profile, rendered with tangled, wave‑like lines that suggest wind‑tossed hair and clothing. The simplified facial features—two eyes and a nose—contrast with the dynamic, rope‑like treatment of the figure, while a muted blue‑green sea with small, sketched boats forms the backdrop, evoking a sense of isolation beside a calm yet indifferent horizon.
Technique & Style
Gramatté employed traditional intaglio processes, incising lines into a metal plate for both etching and engraving. He then applied wiping techniques in black and green to create areas of soft tone, allowing the interplay of sharp linear detail and broader shading. The resulting texture balances precise draftsmanship with a more gestural, expressionist handling of surface.
History & Provenance
Created during a period when Gramatté’s personal health struggles and wartime experiences heavily informed his output, the print reflects his ongoing exploration of self‑representation. It was produced while the artist was active in Berlin’s avant‑garde circles, though specific ownership records after its creation remain limited.
Context
The work belongs to Gramatté’s broader engagement with magic realism and a mystical view of nature, hallmarks of German Expressionism in the early 1920s. By integrating a self‑portrait within a seascape, he aligns personal identity with elemental forces, a theme recurrent in his paintings and prints of the era.
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
Bust of a Young Man, Self-portrait (Knabenkopf, Selbstporträt)
The Couple, Self-Portrait with Wife (Das Paar, Selbstporträt mit Frau)
Bust of a Weary Man, Self-portrait (Ermüdender Kopf, Selbstporträt)
