Self-Portrait

Executed in 1951, when Patrick Caulfield was just fourteen years old, the present work is one of the earliest known works by the artist and demonstrates remarkable technical ability at such a young age. Though created more than a decade before the development of the distinctive visual language for which he became celebrated, certain features of his mature work are already evident. The composition is structured around broad areas of pared-back space, while the hanging light fitting anticipates a motif that would recur throughout his career. Equally intriguing is the small framed picture within the composition, introducing a second visual language and hinting at the artist's lifelong fascination with the relationship between reality and representation.