Self-Portrait with Monocle

work by Schmidt-Rottluff

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July 13, 2026

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Self-Portrait with Monocle (1910) is a notable work by German Expressionist painter Karl Schmidt-Rottluff. Schmidt-Rottluff was a founding member of Die Brücke ("The Bridge"), an Expressionist art group formed in 1905. This movement aimed to create an intensely emotional and modern style, often characterized by bold, dissonant colors and distorted forms. While many Die Brücke artists focused on urban scenes, Schmidt-Rottluff is particularly recognized for his landscapes. Self-Portrait with Monocle exemplifies his mature style, which features flat areas of striking color and a departure from realistic representation to convey subjective emotion.12

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Karl Schmidt-Rottluff
…of this mature work is Self-Portrait with Monocle (1910). Like the other Brücke artists, Schmidt-Rottluff had also begun to explore the expressive potential of the woodcut medium. In 1911 Schmidt-Rottluff, with his fellow Die Brücke members, moved to Berlin, where he painted works with more angular, geometric forms and distorted…
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…of this mature work is Self-Portrait with Monocle (1910). Like the other Brücke artists, Schmidt-Rottluff had also begun to explore the expressive potential of the woodcut medium. In 1911 Schmidt-Rottluff, with his fellow Die Brücke members, moved to Berlin, where he painted works with more angular, geometric forms and distorted…
Read More