Selbstbildnis mit steifem Hut (Self-Portrait in Bowler Hat)

In this 1921 self-portrait Beckmann depicts himself as a dandy with a bowler hat, stiff collar, and cigarette. The profile of a cat sitting on a table behind him to the left and an ashtray and kerosene lamp to his right fill out the tight composition. Beckmann created about eighty self-portraits over a career that spanned virtually half a century. He used his own image and persona to delve into the complexities of the human soul, showing the variety of selves that make up an individual. In Self-Portrait in Bowler Hat, Beckmann shows that he is every bit the modern man, confident in his powers of observation and cool, critical detachment.