Self-Portrait 1938

Theodor Pallady made this self-portrait in 1938, using delicate washes of watercolor and what looks like pencil or ink. It's amazing how much emotion is packed into something so understated. Look at the way he’s built up the tones on his face, in these pale browns and grays, almost like he’s feeling around for his own features. The color is translucent in places, but there are also these moments where he digs in with the darker marks to really define his brow or the line of his jaw. It’s a real push and pull between revealing and concealing. I love the way he's rendered the beard, so pale and wispy, and how that contrasts with the confident hatching of the dark hat. It reminds me of Cezanne, in the sense that it's not just about capturing a likeness, but about the process of seeing, of trying to understand something through paint. There's a vulnerability to it, a sense of searching that I find really compelling. And, like all good art, it leaves you with more questions than answers, right?