bloody mathematics: autoportret

I've been reading some Polish modernist literature which has led me to explore some artists from the late nineteenth, early twentieth century, I came across many self portraits that peaked my interest. Self portraits dominated this era, these artworks were self reflective, a study of an individual, as well as an artist and his technique; but most importantly these works were studies of the human psyche. Artists inhabited a world which was suddenly foreign to them. Due to the vast and sudden advancement of technology, society found themselves lost and facing a mass culture which they were unexpectedly a part of. Artists were expressing an almost painful awareness of their position, striving to isolate and secure their individualism, among feelings of solitude, alienation, internal turmoil and existential anguish. Modernism diffused the importance of an individual dramatically, they became lost among the masses. The Romantic individual that preceded the modernist, was also lost in the expanding society,but still had a lot more artistic freedom. During this time, Kraków was the center of Polish culture because it had a lot more freedom compared to Warsaw which was under Russian partition. Here are some Polish artists 'autoportrets' I encountered,