Portrait of the Artist's Father 1907

Harald Giersing painted this portrait of his father in oil paint; the date is unknown. I find the ochre color palette so evocative; it feels like Giersing is trying to capture a feeling, a mood, rather than just a likeness. The painting is all about texture and layering. You can see the brushstrokes, how the paint is applied in short, choppy marks. Look at the background, those scratchy, diagonal lines; it's almost like Giersing is building up the space around his father, one stroke at a time. And the way he's rendered the father's face – that thoughtful expression, the hand raised to his chin – it's so intimate. It reminds me a little of Cézanne, that same interest in form and structure. But Giersing brings his own sensibility to it, a kind of raw energy. It’s a reminder that art is always a conversation, a back-and-forth between artists and ideas.