Czobel Bela 1928 Önarckép 1928

Bela Czobel made this self-portrait in 1928, and it feels like he used whatever he had to hand to get the job done. There’s a real economy to the marks he’s making, and the colors too. It's like he's saying, “I don't have time to mix the perfect skin tone; let’s just get this down.” I really respond to that. The materiality of the paint is right there on the surface – thin in places, but built up in others. Look at the way he's modeled the face with these quick, diagonal strokes. The overall effect isn’t about precision but about conveying an essence, a mood. You can see that same approach in the work of someone like Kirchner, who knew how to harness that expressive potential. In the end, art is about embracing the process, getting your hands dirty, and not being afraid to leave things a little unresolved.