Self-portrait 1986

This is a self-portrait by Anton Azbe, and the painting itself emerges from a dark palette punctuated by gentle, muted tones, a quiet kind of presence. I think about what it's like to stand in front of a mirror, searching for yourself, trying to find the shapes that make you *you*. The soft brushstrokes on his face give him a gentle quality, and the dark shadows around him suggest a sense of mystery, or perhaps even melancholy. It’s like he’s caught between being present and disappearing, a common feeling for any artist I think. The way Azbe handles the paint, thin and almost translucent in places, gives the portrait an ethereal quality, as if he’s painting not just a likeness, but a feeling. It makes me think of other painters like James Whistler, playing with tone and mood. Artists, we're all in this ongoing conversation, trying to capture something elusive about what it means to be human.