Self-Portrait

What you see

The painter shows himself from the chest up, turned to the left but with his green eyes fixed on the viewer. His reddish-blond hair is swept back, and he has a ginger beard and moustache. He wears a dark jacket, a white shirt and a hint of blue tie. That sideways glance, high in the picture, is the first thing that catches you.

Everything is built from short, separate strokes, like dashes of color. In the background, greens, blues and oranges seem to shimmer and circle the head; the jacket mixes reds, browns and blues, and the beard blazes orange. Take a close look at the ear, made with a few pink strokes, and at the background dashes, which change direction near the shoulder.