Self-Portrait

Art Historical Context

Augustus John's "Self-Portrait" of 1921 offers an intimate glimpse into the artist's self-perception through the precise lines of etching. Created as a print on a sheet measuring 35 by 31 centimeters, the work highlights the personal nature of self-representation, allowing viewers to connect directly with the artist's hand and vision in the early twentieth century. Etching, the medium chosen here, involves drawing with a needle on a wax-coated metal plate that is then bathed in acid to bite the lines. This technique produces fine, expressive details and rich textures, making it ideal for capt...

About the Artist

Augustus John

Augustus Edwin John OM RA (1878–1961) was a Welsh painter, draughtsman, and etcher whose prodigious early gifts made him the most celebrated portraitist in Britain during the first decades of the twentieth century. Born on 4 January 1878 in Tenby, Pembrokeshire, he lost his mother Augusta Smith in childhood, a loss that left a permanent mark on his restless temperament. He and his elder sister Gwe...