Hlava (Autoportrét) 1912

Josef Capek made this self-portrait, Hlava, in 1913, with oil on canvas, and I’m really drawn to the muted palette. It’s all greys, browns, and just a hint of yellow ochre, like he’s trying to find a way to paint a thought rather than a face. Capek’s got these really sharp, angular planes that break up the face – almost like he’s looking at himself through a shattered mirror. The brushwork is pretty visible; you can see how he’s layered the paint to build up the forms. Look how he uses these short, choppy strokes. It’s almost like he’s chiseling away at the canvas to reveal the face underneath. And then, there are these really graphic, linear elements, especially around the eyes, that make the gaze super intense. It reminds me a little of Picasso’s cubist portraits, but there’s something more melancholy and introspective here. It makes you wonder what he was thinking about himself, about art, about the world, at that moment. It’s a painting that invites you to look, and then look again, to try to piece together the puzzle of a person.