Self-Portrait 2 by Robert Delaunay

This portrait of dramatic expressive power, titled “Self-Portrait 2”, illustrates a darker and more introspective facet of the artist Robert Delaunay. Aligning with a formal research close to expressionism and emerging cubism, the work questions the very structure of the human face. Through this plastic exploration, the painter moves away from simple resemblance to capture the deep psychological essence of his subject.

The man’s face, painted in dominant shades of emerald green and dark blue, is powerfully sculpted by sharp angles and touches of bright red on the cheeks and tight lips. The large, dark, and fixed eyes intensely observe the viewer with an expression of anxiety or deep inner concentration. The background consists of an abstract grid of diamonds in dark green, burgundy, and yellow ocher tones, creating an almost suffocating structured space. The low, cold light strongly underlines the angular reliefs of the forehead and nose, reinforcing the dramatic tension of the entire composition.

The painter demonstrates great technical mastery here by using impastos of medium to structure the geometric shapes of the face. His technique of layering cold tones and warm highlights shows a profound understanding of value contrasts in the service of emotional expression.