Self Portrait 1949

This is Vilen Barsky’s self-portrait, painted with oils and a whole lot of introspection. Look at how the paint is built up, especially around the face. You can almost feel the artist layering thought upon thought. The texture is amazing. It's not just about getting a likeness, it’s about the materiality of paint itself. Notice the dark, almost somber background. It pushes the figure forward, but it also feels like the weight of history, or maybe just a moody day. And then there's that white shirt, a flash of brightness that brings your eye right back to the face. The way Barsky handles the paint reminds me a bit of Fairfield Porter, that same sense of quiet observation. But really, it’s its own thing. This is a conversation, not a copy. These paintings are never really finished, they just reach a point where we have to let them go.