Self-Portrait 1905

Carl Larsson made this self-portrait in oil paint with such a loose touch, it's as if he's just sketched his own likeness. The way he builds up the form with these little dabs of color really speaks to me about the act of seeing as a process, a kind of playful exploration. Look at the way he renders the texture of his smock, all these visible brushstrokes working together to capture the way light hits the fabric. There is a liveliness to the surface which feels like a direct translation of movement. And then his face, that concentrated area around his mouth, it looks like a thicket, doesn't it? But that energetic area is also so contrasted to the blankness of the wall behind him which makes the whole painting so dynamic! Larsson's work reminds me a bit of Bonnard, that same interest in the everyday, a fascination with the fleeting effects of light. It's about finding joy in the messy, imperfect beauty of the world, and not being afraid to leave some questions unanswered.