Struck visited Palestine in 1903 and, on his way back to Germany, stopped in Vienna, where he met Herzl. His impression of Herzl as a "dreamer and visionary" inspired this etched portrait, which is rendered in a convincing likeness, expressive of the powerful vitality of the Zionist leader. The head is in left profile and stands out strongly from the dark background. The metal plate is etched through by sharp, direct incisions, which allow soft-flowing yet concise pencil-like strokes. Struck made several portraits of Herzl; he tried to reveal the different aspects of the latter's personality through a variety of pictorial conceptions and techniques. This portrait is, however, the most celebrated of Struck's works, and he never surpassed it even in later years.
IG-6b: The Original copper plate of this work is also included