Self-portrait in gray 1911

This self-portrait in gray was painted by Pyotr Konchalovsky sometime in the 20th century, and it’s interesting because it’s not really gray at all. See how Konchalovsky builds up the surface with thick strokes of paint, almost like he's sculpting the canvas? The layering of color creates a real sense of depth and volume. I love the way he handles the hands, all smudged and smudgy. They almost look like a study of the planes of the body, like a Cézanne. Then you notice the landscape in the background. It's like a little portal into another world, rendered with a completely different touch. It reminds me a bit of the dreamscapes you see in Marc Chagall. It makes you wonder, what’s going on in Konchalovsky’s head? It's a great example of how painting can hold multiple ideas and feelings at once, refusing to be pinned down to one single meaning.