Ralph Hedley, Self Portrait, 1895, oil on canvas, Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
Although British artist Ralph Hedley (1848-1913) and Flemish painter Michael Sweerts (1618-1664) lived more than 200 years apart, they both engage the viewer with a directness and intensity that transcends time.
Michael Sweerts, Portrait of a Young Man (Self Portrait?), 1656, oil on canvas, Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia
