Henri Gaudier-Brzeska among Ocula's Frieze Masters Highlights of 2023 By Elaine YJ Zheng

"One of three recorded oil paintings on canvas by Henri Gaudier-Brzeska, a crucial but short-lived French sculptor associated with Vorticism, this self-portrait was commissioned by his first patrons. It recalls a time of great creativity and hope for the artist who arrived in London in 1911 with empty pockets.

The original commission from patrons Thomas Leman Hare and Thérèse Hare was for a small statue of actress Maria Carmi, inspired by The Miracle (1911), a play by Karl Vollmöller and Max Reinhardt set inside a mediaeval church, with horses, processions, and vast crowd scenes. The artist was asked to see the production that had enticed his patrons and sketched some 60 scenes from which he would create the small bust.

In this later commission, Gaudier-Brzeska takes a backseat to bring attention to the figure he was painting. Impressionist strokes and soft, pastel-blue shades recall the lyrical, transcendental nature of artistic discovery."

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Ocula Magazine

By Elaine YJ Zheng
18 October 2023