Henn Roode
(1924–1974)
Self-Portrait. 1962
Oil, cardboard. Km 61 x 44.5 cm (not framed)
price 7 500
Henn Roode is one of the most interesting creators of self-portraits in Estonian art. Rather than simple self-portraits, his works are multi-layered. Self-portrait is for him a territory where personal tensions can be opened up, but also where the possibilities of painting can be explored. Roode has divided the surface of the painting into two halves: a lighter half and a darker half, apparently symbolising the constant oscillation of the human being between these poles. In both cases, he has used brushstrokes of varying direction and length, but with the support of the Pallas school, they do not produce a nervous rhythm, but a fluid and even whole. In case of the colouring, Roode is riotous, with different tones and colours flooding the surface of the painting and soaking into each other like a spring snowmelt. Of particular note is the combination of blue, black, and white that emerges on the left side of Roode’s neck. Whether this is a coincidence or not in case of a former political prisoner remains unknown.