Image 503 David Hockney

The painting presents a close-up portrait of a man rendered in a highly stylized and distorted manner. The subjects face dominates the composition, filling nearly the entire frame. A pallid pinkish hue pervades the skin tones, creating an unsettling effect that deviates from naturalistic representation.
Here we see exaggerated features: the nose is bulbous and prominent, the eyes are small and set deep within their sockets, conveying a sense of melancholy or perhaps weariness. The mouth is stretched into what appears to be a grimace or a forced smile, adding to the overall feeling of unease. Sparse, greyish-blue hair frames the face, further emphasizing its gauntness. A single, long whisker protrudes from the lower lip, contributing to the caricature-like quality of the depiction.
The man is clad in a dark blue shirt, which provides a stark contrast to the pink tones of his skin and offers a grounding element within the otherwise unsettling visual field. The brushstrokes are visible and expressive, adding texture and dynamism to the surface. They contribute to the overall impression of deliberate distortion rather than accidental imperfection.
The subtexts embedded in this work seem to explore themes of vulnerability and psychological complexity. The exaggerated features suggest an attempt to reveal something beyond a superficial likeness – perhaps hinting at inner turmoil or a sense of alienation. The unnatural coloration contributes to a dreamlike, almost surreal atmosphere, distancing the viewer from any straightforward emotional connection with the subject. It is possible that the artist intended to portray not just a physical appearance but also a psychological state, using distortion as a means to convey an underlying narrative about human fragility and the complexities of identity.