Self-Portrait 1901

Jacek Malczewski painted this self-portrait with oil paints, probably in the late 19th or early 20th century. The color palette is quite muted, but the paint handling is really varied, like he’s feeling his way through the image. Look at his face, surrounded by that fantastic beard and moustache – what’s up with that? There’s a great deal of detail, but the way the paint is applied looks like he is wrestling with the forms. Then notice the landscape behind him, it is rendered with much broader, more open brushstrokes. It almost feels like the landscape is more 'certain' than the face. The surface of the painting is smooth, but there are subtle textures created by the brushwork. This reminds me of some of the landscapes painted by Gustave Courbet. I think Malczewski is really exploring the act of seeing, and how we perceive ourselves in relation to the world around us. What does the term self-portrait even mean?