A face can be painted in colours we recognize, or in colours that change how we feel about the person looking back at us. We often talk about “expressive colour” as though it means one thing. But it can lead a portrait in remarkably different directions. In the work of Matisse and Dufy, colour can create pleasure, rhythm and decorative harmony. In portraits by Munch and Nolde, it can make emotion feel immediate and unsettling. In this presentation, we’ll look at these approaches side by side. How does colour work when the artist is thinking about the design of the whole picture? What changes when colour seems to come from the emotional life of the subject—or the artist? We’ll also look at other examples, including Kirchner, and consider how these distinct approaches might open up possibilities in our own portraits.