Autoritratto 1940

This is Renato Guttuso's self-portrait, painted with oil on canvas, a study in contrasts and textures. The surface is alive with gestural brushstrokes that create a palpable sense of movement and emotional depth. The background shifts from gold to red. The light and shadow play across the artist’s face. The composition divides the face into planes of light and darkness, defining the contours of his face and drawing our eye to the subject. This manipulation of light isn't just about aesthetics; it's about revealing a kind of psychological landscape, a play between what is shown and what remains hidden. Guttuso uses the structural qualities of painting—colour, texture, light—to communicate a complex emotional state. The act of painting becomes a form of self-analysis, turning the surface of the canvas into a space where identity is constructed through visual means. The portrait invites us to consider how we, too, construct our identities.