Self-Portrait, Nude Torso 2002

Avigdor Arikha painted this self-portrait, nude torso, and who knows when, but look at the way he's put it together! The brushstrokes are so alive, like little dashes of color doing a dance. The surface has got this lovely, almost chalky texture. You can practically feel the way the brush dragged across the canvas. The paint isn't trying to hide anything. It's like Arikha is saying, "Here's the thing, raw and honest." Notice the way the light catches on his brow, that furrow of concentration. It's not just a portrait; it's a moment of self-reflection frozen in time. You know, looking at this, I’m reminded of Lucian Freud, that same unflinching gaze, that commitment to showing the human form as it really is. Art is an ongoing conversation and exchange of ideas across time.