Emil Nolde's unusually impressive self-portrait is part of a complex of works in which the artist portrayed himself over the course of his long life. The exploration of the self has a tradition in western painting that dates back to the sixteenth century and which is closely linked with the emancipation of the painter as artist and creator of his works. In the grand Albrecht Dürer exhibition, shown in Nuremberg this year, the genre of the self-portrait is shown as one of the most important components in the artist's creation. From Rembrandt to the artists of Modernism, a large number of outstanding self-portraits deliver proof of the artistic occupation with the self. Nolde sees himself in almost full frontal view and on the full sheet, entirely doing without additional ingredients in order to draw the observer's attention to the essential properties. The peering, slightly oversized eyes increase the suggestive effect that characterizes this self-portrait. [KD].