In the 1930s, the Maribor-based painter and graphic artist Ivan Kos was at the height of his creativity. It was during this period that he created his best graphics, portraying scenes of the Slovenian countryside, streets of Maribor and the Dalmatian towns where he enjoyed spending his free time. Self-portrait in linocut from 1932 is amongst his best graphic works. Traditionally, Slovenian painters had created self-portraits in the painting medium; with the arrival of Expressionism this motif was increasingly used in the graphic technique. Ivan Kos portrayed himself as an artist who is aware of his power of artistic creativity. In keeping with the painting tradition that can be traced all the way back to Romanticism, he metaphorically illustrated his creative passion by depicting a storm. The storm can be seen raging through the window and is reflected in the painter’s untamed hair, symbolic of his inspiration. The diversity of lines and contrasts between the black and white surfaces creates a distinctive dynamic image. Kos portrayed himself in the front view, with eyes wide open and lips tight shut. There is a desire in all of Kos’ (self-)portraits to expose the psychological traits of the portrayed person and of the artist. (Patricia Hrnčič, in the framework of the Creative Path to Knowledge project, Virtual Legends; The investment is co-financed by the Republic of Slovenia and the European Union from the European Social Fund)