Selbstbildnis, lachend


RG36 Selbstbildnis, lachend, summer/autumn 1907.
Oil on canvas adhered to board, 39 x 30.4 cms. Österreichische Galerie Belvedere.
Using his flecking and dabbing technique to dramatic effect, Gerstl’s agitated background amplifies his nightmarish laugh, dishevelled look, and pleading gaze. Despite this, his appearance, as is shown in the comparison below, bears similarities to Gerstl’s portrait, painted by William Clarke Rice in Gmunden in July 1907. Certainly, by the time of his Gmunden vacation 12 months hence, Gerstl’s style had progressed beyond that of this work, making it further unlikely that this eerie self-portrait was painted later than autumn 1907. Some, though, have suggested that this was Gerstl’s last work and indicative of his pre-suicidal frame of mind, but this conclusion can be firmly dismissed.
Kallir 2 – exhibited at Neue Galerie from opening, 28 September 1931. Thesis
– pp. 151-155.

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Comparison of Gerst’s appearance in his Selbstbildnis, lachend (right) and William Clarke Rice’s portrait of Richard Gerstl painted in Gmunden in July 1907, showing how Gerstl’s hairstyle, beard and moustache match in both. The look is found in none of his other self-portraits from 1906-1908 (see A Life in Pictures)..

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Click to return to: Gmunden 1907
Or click for another phase:
1902-1905 ♦ ♦ 1906 – June 1907 ♦ ♦ Autumn 1907 – Spring 1908 ♦ ♦ Summer 1908 – Suicide

Alternatively click on a link from the chronological list below to view an individual painting:

1902-1905: Zentzytzki ♦ ♦ Bäumer ♦ ♦ Frauenkopf ♦ ♦ Unger:I ♦ ♦ Unger:II ♦ ♦ Blue Self-portrait ♦ ♦ Kinderbild ♦ ♦ Selbstbildnis, lachend (Fragment) ♦ ♦ Schwestern Fey

1906-June 1907: Trude Geiringer ♦ ♦ Schönberg ♦ ♦ Mathilde und Gertrud ♦ ♦ Frau mit Federhut ♦ ♦ Grinzing ♦ ♦ Emil Gerstl ♦ ♦ Selbsbildnis mit Palette ♦ ♦ Diez ♦ ♦ Alois Gerstl ♦ ♦ Smaragda Berg ♦ ♦ Mutter und Tochter ♦ ♦ Selbsbildnis Drawing/1 ♦ ♦ Selbsbildnis Drawing/2 ♦ ♦ Selbsbildnis Drawing/3 ♦ ♦ Selbsbildnis Drawing/4 ♦ ♦ vor dem Ofen ♦ ♦ Selbstbildnis (Studie) ♦ ♦ Kleines Selbstbildnis ♦ ♦ Dame mit Federhut ♦ ♦ Kahlenberg ♦ ♦ Oberländer ♦ ♦ Herrenbildnis ♦ ♦ Kniestück ♦ ♦ Selbsbildnis Drawing/2

Gmunden 1907: Obstbaum mit Holzstützen ♦ ♦ Blumenwiese ♦ ♦ Gartenbild ♦ ♦ Baum im Garten ♦ ♦ Prillinger ♦ ♦ Uferpromenade ♦ ♦ Obstbaum ♦ ♦ Baumstudie ♦ ♦ Gartenzaun ♦ ♦ Mathilde Schönberg:II ♦ ♦ Traunseelandschaft ♦ ♦ Baum am Traunsee ♦ ♦ Schlafender Griechin ♦ ♦ Landschaftsstudie ♦ ♦ Selbstbildnis, lachend (1907)

Autumn 1907-Spring 1908: Self 15 September ♦ ♦ Self 29 September/1 ♦ ♦ Self 29 September/2 ♦ ♦ Liechtensteinpalais ♦ ♦ Donaukanal ♦ ♦ Nußdorf ♦ ♦ Sitzende Frau ♦ ♦ Sitzende Mann ♦ ♦ Mathilde im Atelier ♦ ♦ Halbfigurenportrait ♦ ♦ Henryka Cohn

Gmunden 1908-Suicide: Alban Berg? ♦ ♦ Traunseelandschaft 1908 ♦ ♦ Doppelbildnis ♦ ♦ Zemlinsky ♦ ♦ Mathilde im Garten ♦ ♦ Familie Schönberg ♦ ♦ Gruppenbildnis ♦ ♦ Akt im Freien ♦ ♦ Nußdorferstraße ♦ ♦ Zimmer ♦ ♦ Maria Gerstl ♦ ♦ Halbakt ♦ ♦ Selbstbildnis 12 September 1908 ♦ ♦ Frauenakt

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