Self-portrait

Unlike most of his self-portraits, in which the artist portrays himself in three-quarter view with his eyes turned to the left, in this canvas Ligabue presents himself frontally, with his face rigorously modeled by broad brushstrokes, a gaze of disarming intensity , the mouth slightly open as if to establish a secret dialogue with the viewer. Behind him, dense vegetation refers to the exotic settings present in many of the works he painted, while in the distance, synthetic backgrounds define the silhouettes of houses and trees against the sky.