Автопортрет 

This is Zeng Fanzhi’s self-portrait, rendered with stark intensity. The color red dominates, a hue that has coursed through art history, often symbolizing passion, sacrifice, and rage. Here, the red shirt and dripping lines evoke both vitality and distress. Think back to Renaissance paintings where red robes signified status and power, and then consider how Fanzhi twists this symbolism. The dripping paint mirrors the stigmata in religious art, a sign of profound suffering. Observe the elongated head, seemingly crowned by streaks of paint. This could allude to the halo, a symbol of divinity, yet here it’s fractured, disturbed. It suggests an internal struggle, a mind in turmoil. Such symbolism taps into our collective memory, echoing through epochs and cultures, continually reshaped by the subconscious anxieties of the age. The emotional power of this portrait lies in its raw, visceral honesty, engaging us on a deeply human level. These symbols constantly resurface, evolve, and take on new meanings in different historical contexts.