Smoking Girl (Self-Portrait) 1940

Tove Jansson made this self-portrait, titled Smoking Girl, with oil on canvas. It feels like she’s figuring things out as she goes, not trying to be perfect. The brushstrokes are visible, the colours are bright and maybe a little jarring. I love that. The colours, that slightly sickly yellow, against the cool blues of the background, make the image zing. You can see the texture of the canvas and how the paint sits on top. The hand holding the cigarette feels solid, real, but also kind of fragile. It’s a complex thing, a hand, and Jansson captures that complexity. Jansson’s work reminds me of Paula Modersohn-Becker; both were interested in the messy, complex experience of being a woman, an artist, and a person. Art is a conversation, an ongoing exploration, and Jansson’s paintings offer a space to think, feel, and connect.