Autoportrait vers 1901

Eugene Carriere made this self-portrait, "Autoportrait vers," with what looks like a whole lot of earth pigment and a brush. I imagine Carriere layering the paint, the image slowly emerging from the darkness. The whole painting feels like it's exhaling, or maybe dissolving! I can almost feel his breath on the canvas. It feels like he’s not just painting what he sees but trying to capture something deeper, something maybe even he couldn't quite put into words. I love that struggle—when a painting is more about the question than the answer. He really lets the painting stay unresolved, raw and real. It's like he's saying, "Here I am, a work in progress." It reminds me of other artists who weren't afraid to show their process, their doubts, their humanity. It's like a big conversation, each artist adding their voice to the mix, challenging and inspiring each other across time.