Richard Hamilton

Four Self-Portraits - 05.3.81

About this artwork

Richard Hamilton was a key figure in the British and international Pop Art movements, as well as being one of its main theoreticians. The majority of his work is concerned with the art historical traditions in contemporary art. ‘Four Self-Portraits 05.3.81’ takes portraiture as its starting point, using new media to expand its boundaries. Instead of limiting the portrait to a single image, Hamilton uses four. In the early 1980s, the artist took Polaroids of himself and added layers of acrylic colour. After ten years, he digitally converted the photos into transparencies to be made into enlarged prints. Mounted on canvas, they epitomize the layered way in which Hamilton’s works deal with artistic media.

Updated before 2020

  • artist:
    Richard Hamilton (1922 - 2011) English
  • title:
    Four Self-Portraits - 05.3.81
  • date created:
    1990
  • materials:
    Oil paint and enamel on cibachrome print on 4 canvases
  • measurements:
    75.50 x 75.40 x 3.20 cm
  • object type:
  • credit line:
    ARTIST ROOMS National Galleries of Scotland and Tate. Acquired jointly through The d'Offay Donation with assistance from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and Art Fund, 2008
  • accession number:
    AR00141
  • gallery:
  • subject:
This artwork is part of Artist Rooms
Does this text contain inaccurate information or language that you feel we should improve or change? Tell us what you think.

Richard Hamilton

Richard Hamilton