Horst Antes – ’Figure with a white face mask‘ (1972)

Iconic head figure with spiritual depth – Horst Antes and the human condition

With the monumental work ‘Figure with White Face Mask’ from 1972, Horst Antes created another key work within his famous series of head figures, which has been one of the most striking contributions to figurative art in Germany since the 1960s. The strictly contoured, forward-looking figure appears simultaneously present and distant – a symbol of withdrawal, introspection and psychological vulnerability.

The white mask as a sign of distance – isolation and self-protection

At the centre of the depiction is the face, framed by a white mask that signifies both protection and separation. The mask creates a barrier to the outside world – the figure appears shielded, isolated and thrown back on itself. Despite the monumental appearance, the pose conveys a certain fragility: the hands clasp a small white cross, a highly symbolic act that evokes associations with martyr figures and religious sacrifice.

Psychology in form and colour – Antes’ metaphysical view of the human being

The figure rises from a green ground in front of a background shimmering in bright, abstract colours. The layer of colour refers to an enraptured sphere beyond concrete location – time and space dissolve in favour of an inner, metaphysical pictorial world. Antes subtly recalls Christian symbolism with the suggested wound on the back of the hand and emphasises the vulnerability and ambivalence of modern people: between presence and withdrawal, between grounding and transgression.

The head figure as an archetype – an expression of the modern self

With his head figures, Horst Antes has created a pictorial language that is still considered archetypal and timeless today. It stands for the reduction of the human being to essential structures – head, face, feet – and at the same time for an expanded psychological interpretation of the physical. The ‘Figure with White Face Mask’ combines these aspects to create an intense portrait of inner tension: between spirituality, pain, and individuality.