Andy Warhol

Self-Portrait in Dark Suit and Plaid Shirt

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About this artwork

Although Warhol was unhappy with his appearance throughout his life, self-portraiture was a recurring theme in his oeuvre. Role-playing was a central aspect of many of his self-portraits and his Polaroid camera was an effective means of quickly documenting his changing personae. In this work Warhol appears older, with his sunken cheeks and an expression of knowing. From the 1970s until his death in 1987, many of Warhol’s self-portraits are haunted by his fear of death. This is more obvious in his self-portraits with skulls, but here, with his hollow cheeks emphasised by the strong shadow against the wall, his face itself looks distinctly skull-like.

Updated before 2020

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  • artist:
    Andy Warhol (1928 - 1987) American
  • title:
    Self-Portrait in Dark Suit and Plaid Shirt
  • date created:
    1981
  • materials:
    Photograph, colour, Polaroid, on paper
  • measurements:
    10.80 x 8.50 cm (framed: 36.00 x 30.50 x 3.00 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:
    AR00306
  • gallery:
This artwork is part of Artist Rooms
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Andy Warhol

Andy Warhol