Self Portrait 1949

Vilen Barsky made this self-portrait in oil on canvas. It’s like catching a glimpse of a moment in time, isn't it? He's looking at himself, but he's also looking at us. I wonder what was going through his head while he was making it. Was he trying to capture a likeness, or was he after something more? Look at the way he’s built up the surface of the canvas. The paint isn’t too thick but there are visible marks and layers. There’s a real sense of presence. And those eyes, so intense, so blue! They remind me of other painters, maybe someone like Lucian Freud, searching for truth and humanity. Painting is like an ongoing conversation. Each artist picks up where someone else left off, adding their own voice to the mix. In that sense, this self-portrait isn’t just an image of Vilen Barsky, it’s a reflection of his engagement with the history of painting. It’s a conversation, still going on.