Self-Portrait 1973

Sam Francis made this self-portrait with pencil on paper, and you can see him thinking through the form. It’s all about the process. Look at the surface. The pencil is dark in some areas, like around the eyes and along the nose, and very faint in others, like the ghosted line beneath the chin, as if the artist is feeling out the form. He keeps circling back, trying again and again to capture his own likeness. I am drawn to the mouth, which is both very simple – just two lines – yet also sensual, almost like he is smiling, but also a little sad? Francis once said that painting is about the “miracle of light”, and you can see that here in this drawing in the way he uses the pencil to create depth and shadow. The loose line work and attention to form reminds me of Matisse, but there is also something very personal and raw about this work, like Francis is inviting us to witness his own self-discovery. It’s a beautiful, ambiguous statement.