Self-Portrait: Reflection

In this bust-length self-portrait, Lucien Freud depicts himself with a compelling intensity: stern-faced, facing forward, gazing directly at the viewer. Etched lines of varying depth and inking cover the entire surface of the plate. By this technique, Freud creates a shadowy and enigmatic pictorial space, heightening the sense of the artist's introspection. It is a portrait of an artist, who at age 74 is at the height of his power and fame.