Self portrait 1913

This self-portrait by Theo van Doesburg is like a peek into the artist’s own creative space. You can almost see him standing there, brush in hand, figuring himself out in paint. I see the artist working fast, pushing the paint around, trying to capture his essence. It’s so interesting how he uses these thick strokes and dabs of color to build up his face, the blues and pinks hinting at what’s beneath the surface. Painting can be a real act of trying to see, right? The brushstrokes feel like thoughts, each one contributing to a bigger idea. It’s like van Doesburg is asking, "How can I make this medium speak?" You know, artists are always answering each other’s questions across time. They're picking up where someone else left off. It's a constant give-and-take. And this act of painting embraces the mess, the ambiguity, the not-knowing.