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Jan, a very nice work, reminiscent of Cezanne's late self portraits.
The handling of the paint is confident and free, and the colour harmony works well.
I find though, that you have structured the skull and face better than the jaw, and if you are willing to put more work in it you could really go into the neck and shoulders to give them more solidity. That part is the one that I find always difficult: the muscles that start just under the ear and connect where the collar bones meet are my biggest nightmare.
If you look at Cezanne you can't help but noticing his real presence in the painting, and I think that in your work you are there but not completely. Maybe either you paint your eyes more thoroughly so that you are really looking at us, or you insist on your phisical weight and really get into the anatomy of the neck and the width of the shoulders, in order to make the portrait stronger and more captivating.
In any case the most important thing is that this is a picture that really works as a painting and not only as a portrait
Ilaria
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