Self-portrait 1938

Konstantin Alexeevich Korovin painted this self-portrait in 1932, and what strikes me first is how he models the face with these strokes of broken colour, lilacs and greens sitting right next to warm fleshy tones. It’s like he’s building up the image through a process of layering and adjustment. Looking closely, you can almost feel the push and pull of the brush across the canvas. The paint is applied quite thickly in some areas, especially around the forehead and beard, giving a real sense of texture. See that little red dab on the lapel? It’s like a tiny explosion of energy, a spark of life amidst the more muted tones of the suit. Korovin reminds me a little of someone like Lovis Corinth, who also used loose, expressive brushwork to capture the essence of a person. It's a reminder that art is an ongoing conversation, with each artist building upon the ideas and techniques of those who came before.