Beard Gleaming - Georges Lacombe

A striking self-portrait by the French Nabis artist Georges Lacombe, featuring bold, flat planes of colour and a contemplative, stylised composition.

Georges Lacombe, a member of the Nabis group, produced this self-portrait during a period of intense experimentation with colour and form. The Nabis sought to move away from naturalistic representation, favouring instead the use of flat planes of colour and simplified shapes to convey emotional states. In this work, the artist presents himself with a striking, luminous beard that contrasts sharply against the dark, heavy robes he wears. The background is rendered in a warm, almost aggressive orange-red, which pushes the figure forward and creates a sense of psychological tension.

Lacombe was known for his interest in sculpture and wood carving, and this influence is visible in the way he treats the figure. The forms are solid and block-like, with little interest in traditional modelling or light and shadow. The hand positioned near the chin adds a contemplative, perhaps melancholic, quality to the composition. The lack of environmental detail forces the viewer to focus entirely on the facial expression and the symbolic weight of the colour palette. This painting reflects the Nabis' interest in the decorative potential of art, where the arrangement of shapes and hues takes precedence over the accurate depiction of reality. The work remains a clear example of the group's departure from Impressionist techniques, opting instead for a more synthetic and subjective approach to portraiture.