Zelfportret met Amelie before 1958

Aat Verhoog made this raw, yet tender self-portrait with Amelie using watercolor and pencil. The color palette is muted – ochre, brown, and pale pink – except for the startling crimson that dominates one of the faces. The surface of the work feels almost like skin, vulnerable and exposed. You can see the texture of the paper and the layered washes of color. Verhoog’s marks are tentative, almost searching, as if he’s trying to find his way through the image. It's like he's scraping back layers to reveal something hidden. Look at how the red paint drips down the face on the right, obscuring features but also emphasizing the raw emotion of the scene. The piece echoes artists like Paula Rego, who similarly embraced unsettling, emotional themes with a direct and unvarnished approach. Verhoog’s work leaves you with a sense of unease, but also a strange kind of empathy. It's a reminder that art doesn’t always have to be pretty; sometimes, it can be a mirror reflecting our own complex and contradictory feelings.