Self Portrait 1905

Jozef Israëls made this self-portrait with oil on canvas. Look at the brushstrokes, how they build up the form, layer upon layer. Imagine him working, starting with the dark background and then slowly building up to the light of his face. I’m thinking about Israëls peering into the mirror, his gaze intense, trying to capture his own likeness. I wonder what he was thinking as he painted, what he wanted to convey about himself? The paint is applied thickly, creating a textured surface that catches the light. See how the brushstrokes around the eyes and mouth are so delicate? They communicate so much feeling and intention. I can see echoes of Rembrandt in this work, that same interest in capturing the inner life of the subject. Painters like Israëls have so much to teach us about seeing and feeling. We're always in conversation across time, inspiring each other. It's all about embracing ambiguity and uncertainty. There are always multiple ways of understanding things, like the light, the paint, the face.