Self-Portrait 1915

This is a self-portrait painted by Nikolay Bogdanov-Belsky, but the date and medium are unknown. Belsky is dressed in a sharp dark suit, and there is an interesting contrast in the painting between the dark tones of his clothes and hair and the light hues used for his face, hands, and the door behind him. The painting is an exercise in seeing what you can do with a muted palette. Notice the light coming in, perhaps from a nearby window, highlighting the artist’s face and hands in a way that makes them stand out. The thick brushstrokes add a lot of texture to the work; you can see the direction of the paint on the door behind him and in the background paintings. The way the light lands on his face shows off the artist's skill and confidence, and you can see the same confidence in the sharp, clean lines of his dark suit. It reminds me a little of the portraits by Van Dyck, who also worked with light and shadow to give his subjects a sense of depth. Ultimately, the piece speaks to the idea of art as a continuous dialogue, where each artist builds upon the work of those who came before.