Self Portrait (Selbstportrait) from My Life (Mein Leben)

Self Portrait (Selbstportrait) from My Life (Mein Leben) is a powerful graphic work created by Marc Chagall in 1922. This specific image is an etching and drypoint, forming one component of a portfolio comprising twenty etchings intended to accompany Chagall’s memoir, Mein Leben. Although the artist executed the prints in 1922, the complete illustrated book portfolio was formally published in 1923.

The medium of etching and drypoint allowed Chagall to explore a range of tonal textures distinct from the vibrant colors defining his paintings. The drypoint technique, where the artist scratches directly into the plate, yields a rich, burred line, particularly visible in the shadow areas and the contours of the artist’s face. The print technique emphasizes stark contrasts, using dense cross-hatching and deep blacks to create a powerful psychological presence. This intensive graphic style reflects the period of transition in Chagall’s career following his return to the burgeoning French art scene from the Soviet Union.

As a profound piece of self-examination, this self-portrait captures Chagall’s pensive intensity. The composition focuses intimately on the subject’s head and shoulders, utilizing the expressive capacity of the line to convey emotion rather than narrative whimsy. The resulting image is less about folklore and more about the personal anxieties and intellectual rigor defining his existence as a leading figure in the European Modernist movement.

The inclusion of the print within the larger project classifies it as part of an illustrated book, emphasizing its role in supporting the artist's written autobiography. These early 1920s prints are significant examples of the Modern master's approach to the graphic arts. This impression of Self Portrait (Selbstportrait) from My Life (Mein Leben) is a key holding in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).