Description
The painting "My portrait - 1885" by Félix Vallotton offers us an intimate window towards the soul of the young Swiss artist at an early stage of his career. Created when Vallotton was only twenty years old, this work is remarkable not only for his technical skill, but also because of the introspection and rigor with which the artist portrays himself.
The first thing that highlights when observing "my portrait - 1885" is the palpable seriousness on the face of young Vallotton. He looks at us directly in the eyes, establishing an immediate connection and without mediations with the viewer. His expression is serene but penetrating, a clear indication of introspection and the search for his identity as an artist. Through his gaze, one can perceive both trust and doubt, a duality that seizes every young creator.
As for the technique, Vallotton shows here an extraordinary mastery in the use of oil. The precision in the details, from carefully hairstyle hair to the texture of the clothing of clothing, reveals meticulous attention and an impressive technical ability for its age. The color palette used is predominantly dark, with brown, black and ocher tones that dominate the composition. This use of sober colors contributes to the introspective atmosphere of the work, accentuating the psychological depth of the portrait.
The position of the subject is of a stiffness contained, almost formal, that suggests both a critical self -observation and a defense position against the outside world. The background of the painting, austere and without distracting elements, focuses all the attention on the face and clothing of the young Vallotton, highlighting his figure with a clarity that almost seems three -dimensional.
Throughout his career, Félix Vallotton stood out not only in painting, but also in xylography, where he adopted a very distinctive graphic style. However, "my portrait - 1885" belongs to a period in which I was clearly interested in traditional oil -painted portrait techniques. This work is within an artistic practice of realism, before Vallotton was completely immersed in the currents of postimpressionism and symbolism, influences that would mark his subsequent work.
The comparison with other early works of artists of the time reveals even more about the uniqueness of "my portrait - 1885". While contemporaries like Édouard Vuillard and Pierre Bonnard turned to a brighter palette and a more loose brushstroke, Vallotton opted in this portrait for a clarity and a detail that refer to the Renaissance tradition, almost a predilection for formal perfection that contrasts with The experimentalism of their peers.
It is, therefore, in "My portrait - 1885" where we find the seeds of what Felix Vallotton would later develop: an ability to capture the essence of the character, a detail attention and an impressive technical ability, qualities that would make him a figure representative of the currents of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. This portrait, beyond its value as a work of art, stands out as a historical and personal document, reflecting the promising beginning of a determined young man to leave his mark in the art world.
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