Self-portrait. 1938 Konstantin Alekseevich Korovin (1861-1939)

Description of the painting "Self-Portrait" by Konstantin Korovin

Konstantin Korovin is one of the most outstanding artists of the first half of the twentieth century. His works occupy places of honor in the largest museums in Russia. Thanks to his amazing vitality all his works were executed in vivid colors and endowed with a note of festivity. His works will undoubtedly be immortalized - they do not age with the years, to them the interest of generations has not fallen, critics and artists to this day have a genuine interest in the whole creative path of Korovin.

The artist’s self-portrait occupies a special place. Unlike all the canvases he produced, it is not at all colorful. The portrait depicts a tired, gray-haired old man with faded, reddish eyes, behind his back is a black - brown dirty background, and he himself is dressed in a dark jacket, which gives his image even more gloomy.

It seems almost impossible to recognize his former hero, Valentin Serov, but the nose and the shape of his mustache, which has not changed, except that it has turned white, reveals the handsome black-haired man who used to exude a vital energy. Yes, no longer the same, but the noble age, emphasized by the whitened head, which thinned to reveal a high forehead of intellectual, slim face betrayed a significant aristocratism.

His eyes must be focused on one of his unfinished works, as if he were saddened, perhaps afraid of not finishing his last work in time.

Despite its dark tones, the painting radiates a warm energy and allows us to sense the depth of Korovin’s creative nature.