self-portrait at 39 2019

This is "Self-Portrait at 39" by Aaron Nagel, achieved with oil paint on what looks like linen or cotton canvas. The artist has used delicate brushwork to capture a likeness. The texture of the paint is apparent, particularly in the background. The visible brushstrokes show the artist’s hand at work. Nagel employs traditional techniques, yet avoids photorealism, leaving traces of the making process visible. Oil paint itself is significant. Since the Renaissance, it has been the preferred medium for portraiture. The artist joins a long lineage here, while asserting his own contemporary identity. The labor involved in producing this self-portrait is significant. Oil paint requires time and skill to manipulate. The result is an artwork that invites us to consider the relationship between artist, medium, and the very act of creation. Paying attention to materials and making processes allows us to look beyond the image and see the artist's hand, his skill, and the historical weight of his chosen medium.