Self-Portrait 1902

Viggo Johansen painted this self-portrait with oil on canvas, and the brushstrokes seem to blend into each other like soft shadows. I can almost feel the weight of the dark paint he layered to build his form against that murky background. It looks like he is emerging from the darkness. What might he have been feeling as he painted? Did he feel seen, or unseen? I'm struck by the way he captured himself, the thoughtful gaze, the neat beard. His face seems illuminated from within, a beacon in the gloom, drawing you closer, just like the paintings of Rembrandt. Painters are always in conversation, borrowing and building upon each other's work. It’s this ongoing dialogue across time that keeps art alive, open, and full of possibility. We look at his painting and he seems to be looking back at us!