Self Portrait 1883

Editor: Here we have Henry William Banks Davis' "Self Portrait," created in 1883 using oil paint. The immediate impression for me is the incredibly detailed beard, it's practically luminous! What do you see in this piece, that maybe I’m missing? Curator: Oh, that beard is everything, isn’t it? It's almost as if he's attempting to capture the sun in its many strands. And yet, his gaze…it feels almost distant, lost in contemplation. He’s not just painting a likeness, he’s painting a mood, a question mark hanging in the air. Don’t you think? What sort of person sees themselves so...internally? Editor: I see what you mean, there's a pensiveness there. It almost feels at odds with the very direct, almost realist, technique. How do you square those two aspects? Curator: It’s the dance between the outer shell and the inner world, isn't it? He gives us the detail, the objective "truth" of his features, that perfectly rendered nose for example, then injects a soulfulness. Do you suppose, with all that beard, maybe he didn't like painting ties? I hate painting ties, personally. Editor: Ha! Maybe so. Looking closely at the impasto, I can almost feel the texture of the paint on the brush. The painting is really beautiful and his use of color too. Curator: Exactly! It is beautiful, a glimpse into a painter wrestling not just with pigment, but with self-understanding. Or maybe just admiring his glorious beard. I know I do. Editor: It’s interesting to consider what a self-portrait reveals. The painter's self-perception ends up so clearly translated! Thanks, it really brought it into focus. Curator: My pleasure. Sometimes, all art needs is a little beard appreciation.