August Strindberg 1915

Gosta Adrian-Nilsson paints a portrait of August Strindberg with oils, and it's like staring into the soul of a troubled mind. The yellows and greens create an almost sickly pallor, but the strokes are so vigorous, so full of life. I imagine Adrian-Nilsson wrestling with the canvas, trying to capture Strindberg's intensity. Did he step back, squint, and then lunge forward with a loaded brush? The jagged lines and bold color choices suggest a kinship with the German Expressionists, those rebels who twisted reality to convey raw emotion. The mouth is particularly striking, a flurry of dark marks that speak volumes about inner turmoil. It's like he's saying, "Here's a man who felt everything, and wasn't afraid to show it."