Anton Josef Trcka studied in Karel Novák's photography class at the Grafische Lehr- und Versuchsanstalt from 1911, but always worked in poetry, painting, sculpture and decorative arts as well. Art Nouveau was a central impulse for his photographic work. This is evident in this self-portrait, for example, in the artificial staging and the accentuations drawn into the negative. The bird, whose beak is pointed at the artist's ear, may be interpreted as a reference to his musical eurythmy interests. The mannered posture of the right hand not only emphasises it as an important tool of artistic creation, but also quotes the famous portrait of Egon Schiele, whom Trcka appreciated. The print was shown in 2014 in the Bonartes exhibition "Tanz der Hände", which was dedicated to the "cult of the hand" of the 1920s in the context of expressive dance.
