Man Wearing a Straw Hat

A man in a straw hat gazes out from this watercolor, his face a mosaic of cool blues, greens, and warm ochres. This portrait, created late in the artist's life, captures a sense of quiet introspection. The sitter's features are rendered with both precision and an almost abstract quality, built up through delicate washes of color. Notice how the graphite lines, visible beneath the watercolor, structure the form, creating a dialogue between drawing and painting. The background is minimally defined, allowing the focus to remain entirely on the figure, particularly the expressive brushwork around his eyes and the brim of his hat. This intimate scale and the fluid medium reveal a different facet of the artist's approach, distinct from his better-known oil paintings, yet still preoccupied with breaking down forms into their essential elements.