A tormented character, prone to mystical experiences, Meidner is best known for his apocalyptic visions of the modern metropolis, prophetically painted on the even of the First World War, and for his self-portraits. In this drawing, the artist stares fixedly either at the viewer or at himself in the mirror. His wide-opened eyes and the vertical movement of his left eyebrow, echoed in the tuft of hair atop his head, give him an expression at once startled and perplexed. Meidner repeated this pose in other self-portraits. The variegated line is typical of his style, conveying his state of agitation while revealing his talent as a draftsman. The year of this self-portrait, Meidner co-founded the group "Die Pathetiker" (The Pathetic Ones), which held its sole exhibition in the fall of 1912 at the Galerie Der Sturm in Berlin. The exhibition launched his career and marked the beginning of his collaboration with expressionist painters and writers, who frequently met in his studio.
Initialed and dated at lower center, in black ink, "LM 1912"; verso: Estate stamp at lower right, with inventory number "II/64".