Candle Hat

In most self-portraits it is the face that dominates:

 

Cezanne is a pair of eyes swimming in brushstrokes

 

 

Van Gogh stares out of a halo of swirling darkness

 

 

Rembrandt looks relived as if he were taking a breather from painting The Blinding of Samson

 

 

But in this one Goya stands well back from the mirror

To understand Goya you only have to imagine him lighting the candles one by one, then placing the hat on his head, ready for a night of work.