Self portrait 1893

Curator: Here we have Vladimir Makovsky's "Self Portrait," created in 1893. It is rendered in charcoal, a medium lending itself well to the sense of intimacy. Editor: The first thing that strikes me is how contemplative and almost weary he appears. The charcoal feels almost like a veil, softening the sharp angles, especially around the eyes. Curator: That softness could very well be a conscious choice related to charcoal's materiality and relative accessibility. Unlike painting with oils which involved more labor, complex ingredients and extensive layering, charcoal is direct. This makes for a less staged, more truthful likeness, if you will. Its inherent grittiness also aligns with Makovsky’s own progressive politics, interested as he was in the daily labor of common people, particularly the struggles of serfdom. Editor: I see it too in the positioning of his arms and hands, crossed as they are in what feels like a protective posture. The eyes tell a story of burdened introspection. There is so much information, emotional, psychological, and otherwise that his piercing eyes suggest. Curator: Agreed, it may also be worth examining how Makovsky approached charcoal as an artistic tool, considering that Russian artists, around this time, and indeed across Europe were rethinking and even celebrating mediums long considered preparatory such as sketching and drawing. These forms could yield a sense of immediate truth or capture spontaneity and perhaps bypass the more formal requirements associated with historical painting. Editor: Absolutely, his decision to represent himself using what you characterize as an immediate and gritty method also reflects the broader symbolic weight attached to artistic self-representation in the late 19th century. Curator: I wonder how the social context might have directed Vladimir Makovsky's formal artistic decisions. Thanks for reflecting upon this artwork together. Editor: It has been quite thought-provoking! Let’s continue exploring ways material and process intersect with history and personal narrative in self-portraiture.