Selfportraits

Hans Deuss has depicted himself in his paintings from an early age. Although all his paintings are a reflection of himself, there is a more personal note in these paintings. He depicts himself in various situations in which the good viewer becomes more aware of his nature and attitude.

For example, in the painting De verstarde blik (The Frozen Gaze) he has depicted himself in an attitude and situation that symbolizes how introverted and fixated he sometimes has to be on his own work to allow his ideas and images to take shape. In the painting De Trap (The Stairs), for example, he places himself at the top of a staircase that turns out to be halfway fictional. This staircase represents the pitfalls that he sometimes experiences within himself. In the painting Levenslijn (Lifeline) he places himself in a very difficult position, one that represents the difficult path that we all have to take to achieve a balanced existence.

Of course he also enjoys portraying himself in portraits every now and then. The changes are always fascinating. Between the first and last portrait lies a world of development and growth that he looks back on with great pleasure.