Self-portrait. 1912 Kuzma Sergeevich Petrov-Vodkin (1878-1939)

The painting presents a frontal portrait of a man against a fragmented backdrop. The subjects face dominates the composition; his gaze is direct and intense, conveying a sense of introspection or perhaps challenge. His features are rendered with broad, expressive brushstrokes in warm tones – ochres, reds, and browns – that create a palpable texture and suggest an underlying emotional complexity. A prominent mustache adds to the man’s assertive presence. He wears what appears to be a dark jacket or coat draped loosely over his shoulders, its folds suggested through similarly vigorous application of paint.
Above the figures head, the background is divided into two horizontal bands. The upper band features a vibrant red hue punctuated by indistinct shapes that seem to represent horses or other equine figures in motion. These forms are not clearly defined but contribute to an atmosphere of dynamism and perhaps unrest. Below this, a pale blue-grey area provides contrast and further fragments the space, preventing any sense of conventional depth.
The overall effect is one of psychological intensity combined with formal experimentation. The artist seems less concerned with precise representation than with conveying a feeling or state of mind. The fractured background suggests a disrupted reality, possibly reflecting internal turmoil or an engagement with the anxieties of the era. The directness of the subject’s gaze and the raw application of paint contribute to a sense of immediacy and vulnerability. There is a deliberate lack of idealization; instead, we are presented with a man marked by experience, his expression hinting at both strength and weariness. The paintings composition suggests an exploration of identity within a rapidly changing world, where traditional forms and certainties were being questioned.