Selfportrait 1910

This self-portrait by Eugène Jansson is really something, look how he's used the paint to almost sculpt his face. It’s all about the surface here, right? The texture of the paint, how it's built up layer by layer. Notice how the light catches the ridges of the brushstrokes around his eyes and that amazing mustache. It's not just about what he looks like, but how he sees himself, or wants to be seen. There's a real honesty in the way he's handled the paint, like he's not trying to hide anything. The slightly somber colours add to the pensive mood. This piece reminds me a bit of some of Courbet’s portraits, that same sense of weight and presence, the feeling that you're looking at a real person, not just a representation. Ultimately, this painting is a journey, a conversation between the artist and himself, and now, between us and him too.