This self-portrait was signed at Björkudden on Lake Bunn, south of Gränna. This was close to the artist John Bauer’s native Jönköping, but Esther Ellqvist felt less at home, particularly in 1910–11 when the couple spent the winter here. The background to the self-portrait is a hopelessly grey, bare and damp late-winter landscape. The subject’s greyish-white clothes match the surroundings. Her face, with its searching gaze, and her blond hair are the only elements offering relief from the gloom.