Zelfportret achter een ezel c. 1910 - 1925

Auguste Brouet made this self-portrait behind an easel using etching, in a monochromatic palette of blacks, greys and whites. He is resting his head on his hand, with his gaze cast downwards in what looks like deep reflection. I wonder, what does he see? What’s on that canvas? Is it a source of joy, or is it driving him nuts? Making paintings is like entering into a philosophical dialogue. It's like Auguste here is asking himself, and the painting, all those big life questions, you know: Who am I? What am I doing? What does it all mean? His marks capture something about the essence of being an artist. You know, that mix of inspiration and doubt, confidence and vulnerability. His face is so soft. Brouet is part of an ongoing conversation between artists across time, each inspiring the next, because art is, after all, an embodied expression, always open to new interpretations and meanings.