Self-Portrait 2 by Jules Bastien-Lepage

This introspective work plunges the viewer into the very heart of the artist’s creative process through an exercise in self-portraiture of great intensity. Signed by the famous Jules Bastien-Lepage, this composition entitled “Self-Portrait 2” fits perfectly into the European realist tradition. The author chooses to reveal himself without pretense or artifice, affirming his identity as a painter and his commitment to visual truth.

The man’s face emerges magnificently from a dark and mysterious background with earthy undertones. His short-cut brown hair forms a straight fringe above his clear eyes, which fix the viewer with penetration. A full red mustache and a light goatee frame his closed mouth with a concentrated expression. He is dressed in a very dark working garment from which the white collar of his shirt discreetly peeks out. In the lower left corner, his hand firmly holds a painter’s palette loaded with touches of warm and ochre colors. The raking light illuminates the right side of his face, accentuating the volumes.

The technical virtuosity manifests in the vibrant touch and the generous application of the pictorial medium. The artisan uses oil paint to sculpt the reliefs of his own physiognomy with a powerful psychological realism. This vigorous execution demonstrates an absolute stylistic ease.