Self-portrait 1914 - 1918

Curator: Standing before us is Zygmunt Waliszewski’s "Self-portrait," created between 1914 and 1918. It's rendered with oil paint in a distinct expressionistic style. Editor: It’s immediately striking – there’s a powerful directness, isn’t there? The color palette, a mix of harsh greens and fleshy pinks, conveys a sense of unease or tension. Curator: Absolutely. When we examine the brushstrokes, they feel rapid and urgent. The visible texture speaks to a raw, perhaps hurried, process of creation, emphasizing the artist's physical engagement. Consider the layers of oil paint; they are not blended seamlessly but sit almost independently, giving texture. Editor: That rawness certainly feeds the expressive force of the image. The sitter's unwavering gaze strikes me. The face seems assembled through almost mask-like shapes, evoking a persona rather than perfect likeness. Perhaps exploring questions about identity under the stress of wartime? Curator: Perhaps. Look closer – notice how the materiality amplifies meaning. The colors aren’t naturally skin-like but feel deliberately chosen to provoke a response, echoing similar tones and hues in adjacent Cubist works emerging throughout the late 1910s. Editor: Yes! The shadows beneath his eyes seem more a consequence of deliberate, artistic brushwork than a study of true anatomy or natural form, which underscores the psychological weight he carries, whether personal, social, or even universal in those turbulent times. Curator: Indeed, so as we conclude, note how the constraints, resources, and working conditions shape an emotional resonance within the viewer through both color choice and materiality, challenging what makes a self-portrait truthful. Editor: It is intriguing to think about how Waliszewski utilized a historical painting convention to give a modern, material interpretation of self, one that seems steeped in internal conflict.