Self-Portrait

This is a small oil painting on cardboard, 33.7 cm high by 24.6 cm wide. In rough brushwork mixing red, blue, and green, a man's face framed by long hair is shown head-on. The shadows around the eyes and nose are heavily painted, and the outline of the face seems to melt into the background.

According to the Mie Prefectural Art Museum, at least three other oil self-portraits by Aoki are known: one from his time at the art school (Artizon Museum), his graduation work (Tokyo University of the Arts Art Museum), and the 1904 Face of a Man (Self-Portrait) (Ohara Museum of Art). No self-portrait later than this one is known.

With brushstrokes of varying direction and length left visible, the canvas gives the impression of a study or an unfinished work. Yet the museum's commentary says that the fierce brushwork, going beyond mere sketching, and the uncanny gaze and expression convey the sharp individuality seen throughout Aoki's career. There is also a story that he used his own face as the model for Yamato Takeru, which he painted the following year.