Self-Portrait with Splayed Fingers

The scissor-like splayed finger motif could possibly have been inspired by the gestures of expressionist dancers. With his left shoulder pulled up, the artist seems to defend himself against the viewer. His haggard and angular body stretches out into the space. Equally expressive are his face and gaze: open lips, red eyelids, raised and unusually thick eyebrows, and the disconcerting purple and brown smudges on his cheekbones. As in many other nudes and portraits from the years between 1910 and 1912, the figure is elevated by a white contour line, giving the body the appearance of being surrounded by an aura.