Self-portrait 1917

This self-portrait by David Kakabadzé is…well, it’s him, painted with oil, probably in his studio, or maybe even his bedroom. The painting feels so considered. A face, a patterned curtain, and an odd landscape, all existing together in a considered composition. I imagine he must have spent hours, maybe days, deciding where each element should go, how each colour should sit with another. The earthy green of his jacket is echoed in the landscape, while the fiery red of the curtain hums against the cool blues and purples in the sky. Look how carefully the paint has been applied, a thin layer here, a thicker stroke there. I wonder if he knew he was part of a lineage? A continuation of ideas, a conversation with other painters like Matisse or Derain. I bet he did. It’s kind of what all artists are doing, consciously or unconsciously, keeping the conversation of art alive and kicking.