#39065 Elmer Bischoff

The drawing presents a stark and emotionally charged scene centered around a figure confronting its reflection. Here we observe a seated individual, rendered in a loose, expressive style using ink washes and cross-hatching. The figures posture is one of dejection; the head is bowed, shoulders slumped, suggesting profound sadness or despair. The body is angled away from the viewer, yet turned towards a large mirror dominating the composition’s right side.
Within the mirror, we see an identical figure, also seated and exhibiting similar signs of distress. However, this mirrored image appears more intensely shadowed, its features even more obscured by what seems to be a hand pressed against the face. The mirroring isnt perfect; subtle differences in shading and posture suggest a distortion or fragmentation of identity rather than a simple replication.
The background is largely devoid of detail, rendered as a dark, undefined space that contributes to the overall sense of isolation and confinement. A rectangular shape on the floor hints at a tiled surface, adding a touch of domesticity to an otherwise unsettling scene. The artist’s signature appears in the lower right corner, small but present.
The subtexts within this drawing are complex and open to interpretation. The mirror serves as a powerful symbol of self-reflection, but here it is not one of clarity or understanding. Instead, it seems to amplify feelings of anguish and alienation. The obscured face suggests an attempt to hide from oneself, a refusal to confront inner turmoil. The mirroring itself could be interpreted as representing a fractured sense of self, a struggle with identity, or perhaps the burden of internal conflict. The overall effect is one of profound psychological distress, conveyed through a deliberate lack of detail and a reliance on expressive linework to evoke emotion rather than represent literal form.