Self-Portrait 1974

Sam Francis made this compelling self-portrait on a sheet of paper with what looks like crayon or graphite, and I bet it was a deeply thoughtful, even philosophical, experience. The marks are raw, like he’s trying to understand something about himself while he works. You can see the weight of the marks on the surface of the paper, they're very present, almost sculptural. I wonder if he paused often, staring hard into the mirror, thinking, “Who am I?” and then trying to capture that fleeting feeling, that essential sense of self. The vertical lines in the background feel anxious, yet there is an undeniable calm in his face. I bet Francis wasn’t just trying to make a likeness. He was likely in dialogue with other artists, maybe even wrestling with some of the same questions they were. When we look at a self-portrait like this, we’re also looking at a conversation, one that we can now participate in. What do you see when you look at yourself?