Self-Portrait 1937

This self-portrait by Henri Matisse, made with charcoal, is not just an image but a process, a dance between the artist and his reflection. Look at the smudgy greys, the way he builds form with layers of tone, like he’s feeling his way around his own face. It’s all about the push and pull, the give and take of charcoal on paper, a conversation between light and shadow. Notice the soft, blurred edges around the face which contrast with the sharp, decisive lines of his glasses. The glasses, rather than offering clarity, become a kind of mask, adding to the sense of a self that is both revealed and concealed. This piece reminds me of the early, graphic works of Jasper Johns, sharing the same interest in the process of image making and the ambiguity of identity. Like any good self-portrait, it's not a fixed statement, but an invitation to question what we see, and how we see ourselves.