Omakuva 1932

Tyko Sallinen created this self-portrait, Omakuva, with oil on canvas sometime in the early 20th century. It’s so immediate, the marks so present; the color palette is limited but intense. You can feel Sallinen working, making decisions, adding and subtracting. There’s a real materiality to this painting. The brushstrokes in the blue background are thick, directional, almost like a stormy sky. This contrasts with the smoother, blended areas of his face, where the paint seems thinner, more transparent. The bow tie is a study in contrasts, sharp-edged but with a soft, almost smudged quality. And that signature! It’s like a final flourish, a confident assertion of authorship. Sallinen’s work reminds me a bit of early Kirchner, that same raw, expressive energy, that willingness to leave the marks visible. Both artists seem to be less concerned with depicting reality and more interested in capturing an emotional state.