This self-portrait, part of a series begun in 1887, exemplifies Carrière’s signature approach. Nuanced umber tones and hazy brushwork create the impression of the figure materializing out of, or merging into, the surface of the canvas. The misty appearance of Carrière’s work was prized by contemporaries tired of precisely detailed and realistic paintings. A critic once compared Carrière’s style to that of his colleague Auguste Rodin, writing, "Rodin paints in marble and Carrière sculpts with shadow."