Self Portrait, Facing Right 1907

Egon Schiele made this self-portrait, facing right, with oil on wood. The color palette is quite muted—dark browns and pinks dominate the painting. It looks as if the painting has come into being through many layers. Schiele seems to be really feeling it. You can see the texture and the brushwork up close. It's very physical, like he's wrestling with himself on the canvas. I get the sense that Schiele is exploring his own identity in this painting, trying to understand who he is through the act of painting. The way he uses color, almost like a mask of makeup, is also interesting. It relates to other self-portraits in the history of art. Think of Rembrandt—artists are always talking to each other across time. Anyway, painting is about feeling your way through. The meaning isn't fixed.