Artwork Title: Self Portrait (Leading the Life in the West)

Self Portrait (Leading the Life in the West), 1910

William Orpen

This self portrait, also known as Leading the Life in the West, refers to Orpen's life as a young artist in the West End of London. Orpen stands reflected full-length in a mirror in his studio, wearing a bowler hat and holding gloves and a riding crop. A shelf below the mirror holds paintbrushes and rags, the tools of the artist's trade, as well as several bottles of liquor. Various pieces of correspondence, including an IOU signed by Orpen, are tucked behind the frame of the mirror, further testifying to the pleasures and distractions of the painter's early career. The space of the picture is shallow but complex, with Orpen using his skills as a draftsman to resolve the challenges of surface, lighting, and reflection that he has set for himself. (https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/480597)
Uploaded on Oct 9, 2017 by Suzan Hamer

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