Chapter 6
Four bare outlines, arranged on easels in a crescent shape around him, hinted at the possibilities of exhibiting expressed emotion. The angle of the face varied by canvas, as well as the positioning of the eyes and the setting of the mouth. Though they were inspired by the same young man—the artist himself—they appeared to represent four separate individuals.
As a professional, Gustavo Vila Nova had not embarked upon a self-portrait before this moment. He was ready to admit that there was always something of the artist in every piece created, but he had not attempted an outright physical representation of his likeness since art school. He did not know why he dreaded painting himself—it was more than his aversion to vanity or discomfort with his flaws—but found it to be an a
