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William Orpen , Irish, 1878-1931

Title

Myself and Cupid

Date1910

MediumOil on canvas

Dimensions

102 × 86.5 cm

Signedlower right: ORPEN

Credit LinePurchased, 2021

Object numberNGI.2021.49

DescriptionWilliam Orpen produced countless drawn and painted self-portraits. In this self-image he identifies himself as a professional artist, surrounded by the accoutrements of his trade. He locks eyes with us as he scrutinises himself in a mirror. The mirror was a recurring motif in his portraiture, allowing him to both express his technical virtuosity, and firmly establish his presence. This picture can be read as a homage to the art of painting, or purely as a reflective portrayal of himself.

(Katie Buckley, Curatorial Fellow - Prints and Drawings, An Artist's Presence, 2025, Print Gallery)
ProvenanceLady Orpen, and thence by descent until 1974; Fine Art Society, London, where acquired by Alan Fortunoff, New York; Fine Art Society, London, 1994; Christie’s, London, 9 May 1996, lot 100, where acquired by private collector; Sotheby’s, London, ‘British Art Evening Sale: Modern/Contemporary’, 29 June 2021, lot 24; Purchased, 2021Exhibition HistorySpring, New English Art Club, London, 1911, no.164

Late Members, Royal Academy, London, January - March 1933, no. 35 (as Portrait of the Painter)

Winter Exhibition, Fine Art Society, London, December 1974, no. 24

William Orpen A Centenary Exhibition, National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin, November - December 1978, no. 73

Spring Exhibition, Fine Art Society, London, 1994, no. 41.