Portrait of the Artist 1903

This self portrait was made by Pablo Picasso, and you can see it's him straight away. The warm, mellow tones wash over the paper, like a hazy memory. It's all about line here, isn't it? A quick, confident tracing of his own profile, a dance between the artist and his own image. Look at the ear - that little swirl of lines, so economical, yet so expressive. It feels like he's not just depicting himself, but also the act of seeing, of capturing a likeness with just a few strokes. It's this kind of knowing mark-making that always gets me excited. Thinking about other artists, this reminds me of the pared-down portraits of Modigliani, but with a bit more swagger. Picasso's always pushing, always questioning, and this self-portrait feels like a glimpse into that restless mind. You get the sense that for him, a painting wasn't just a picture, it was an experiment.