Portrait of a Man (Stepfather)

Hans Mattis-Teutsch was born in Brașov on August 13, 1884, and his formative years were marked by a balanced and supportive family life. His mother, Josephina Mátis, née Schneider, played a crucial role in shaping and educating the future artist. His father, János Mátis, was a tailor, but he died of pneumonia before his son was born. The family was in a difficult financial situation until Josephina Schneider married Friedrich-Karl Teutsch. The good relationship between the stepfather and son led to the legalization of the adoption in 1904. The artist later took on his stepfather's name, becoming Hans Mattis-Teutsch.

At the beginning of his artistic career, Hans Mattis-Teutsch adopted an academic style, and his admiration for his parents was reflected in the portraits he created of them, either as sculptures or paintings.

Originally a sculptor, the portrait of Friedrich-Karl Teutsch represents one of Hans Mattis-Teutsch's first attempts at painting, which is particularly evident in the depiction of the hands. Created after his return from studies in Paris, which he completed in 1908, the emphasis on the subject's face reveals a resemblance to the painter Vincent van Gogh. In contrast, the clothing is rendered in a two-dimensional manner, and the various shades of green draw attention to the portrait.