Self Portrait with Blue Sketchbook 1907

Léon Spilliaert painted this self-portrait, holding a blue sketchbook, with a moody palette of muted blacks and whites. I love that the sketchbook is blue. I imagine Léon standing in front of the easel, staring at himself in a mirror, thinking about how to convey a sense of inner life and self-reflection through the act of painting. I know that feeling! The weight of the brush in your hand, the smell of oil paint, the way the bristles feel against the canvas – these all contribute to the experience of being in the studio, trying to capture something elusive and intangible. What was he thinking about? Loneliness? Mortality? The angst! The paint looks thin, almost transparent in places, allowing the texture of the surface to peek through. Notice the subtle gestures around the face; a slightly downturned mouth, the way the eyes seem to gaze inward. I think he was probably looking at Munch, maybe even Vuillard. Artists are always responding to one another, building on the ideas and innovations of those who came before. It’s all one big conversation.