Self-Portrait, March 2 2001

The presence of the mirror frame in this drawing recalls a typical composition of Renaissance portraits in which the sitter is shown beyond a window ledge. Inspired by the extensive research he was conducting at the time into old master methods—notably the use of lenses and mirrors—Hockney adopted here the classical bust-length pose that is found in portraiture throughout European art history.

David Hockney
Self-Portrait, March 2 2001, 2001
Charcoal on paper
Centre Pompidou, Paris. Musée national d’art moderne / Centre de création industrielle. Purchased 2002 [am2002-281]
Françoise and Jean Frémon, Paris
© David Hockney