The Desperate Man (Self-Portrait), Gustave Courbet
Gustave Courbet·The Desperate Man (Self-Portrait)·c. 1843–45·Oil on canvas·Private collection↓

Gustave Courbet French, 1819 – 1877

The Desperate Man (Self-Portrait), c. 1843–45

Your taste…

The young Courbet, newly arrived in Paris, stares out with wild eyes and hands tearing at his hair. A theatrical close-up that feels startlingly modern, almost like a film still, painted when he was in his mid-twenties.

Look closer

The face is pushed to the very edge of the canvas, cropping out almost everything but emotion.

Looks like this

Compared by a vision model

Shares its spirit