Portret van de schilder Hendrikus Fredericus de Grijs 1876 - 1933

This is a self-portrait made by Hendrikus Fredericus de Grijs, but we don't know exactly when. It's a drawing, probably in charcoal, and it's interesting to see how the artist builds up the image with these soft, smudgy marks. It feels like a very process-oriented way of working, where the image emerges gradually through the accumulation of these marks. The material quality of this portrait really grabs me. The texture is soft, almost velvety, and the color palette is muted, mostly grays and browns. The artist has used the charcoal in a way that creates a sense of depth and volume, especially in the face. I'm drawn to the way the light catches the bridge of the nose. You can almost see the artist feeling his way around the contours of his face. This self-portrait reminds me a bit of some of the early portraits by Paula Modersohn-Becker, particularly in its directness and honesty. It's like de Grijs is trying to capture not just his likeness, but something of his inner self. It's a reminder that art is always a conversation.