I’ve written before about how Rilke is my favourite poet and his Duino Elegies are massively powerful pieces of work which I find captivating every time I read them. This picture was directly inspired by the elegies and the writing that makes up the contours of the face is taken directly from them. The elegies themselves have a very reflective tone and even their subject matter echoes this. What better way to express them then than as a depiction of Rilke’s own face? His words are his light and his shade. They are the manifestation and the shape of his expression. His words are his mirrors. He poured out his words, but his face gathers them back to himself.

To view a high resolution version of this image, click here or you can access it through my gallery page.