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1st self-portrait.
- Charnley, Bryan, 1949-1991
- Date
- 11-16 April 1991
- Reference
- 3049687i
- Part of
- Bryan Charnley Self-portraits.
- Pictures
- Online
Available online
Licence
Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)
You can use this work for any purpose, as long as it is not primarily intended for or directed to commercial advantage or monetary compensation. You should also provide attribution to the original work, source and licence.
Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) terms and conditions https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Credit: 1st self-portrait. Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Selected images from this work
About this work
Also known as
First self-portrait.
Description
Head and shoulder portrait of Bryan Charnley, wearing a blue shirt.
Publication/Creation
11-16 April 1991.
Physical description
1 painting : oil on canvas ; 50.9 x 50.8 cm
Contributors
Biographical note
Charnley's diary entry reads: "Conventional portrait painted in two sittings. Is it a good likeness? ... I was sleeping a lot. 11th to 16th April 1991."
Bryan Charnley (1949-1991) was a British artist whose work illustrates his experiences of schizophrenia. In 1969 he enrolled on a BA in sculpture at the Central School of Art and Design, but left due to a breakdown. He started painting in 1978, and from the late 1980s he began to get recognition for his work, with Bethlem Royal Hospital purchasing four of his paintings. From 1987 to his death he kept a dream diary as a way of understanding his own mind. In March 1991 he decided to experiment with his medication and embarked on a series of self-portraits, a series which exposed his mental illness. The series was exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery, London, in 1995. He took his own life in July 1991.
Reference
Bryan Charnley. 1991. 1st self-portrait. [Oil on canvas]. Wellcome Collection: Library no. 3049687i
References note
Charnley, J. (2018). Bryan Charnley: art and adversity, page 174.
Exhibitions note
Exhibited in ‘Bryan Charnley self-portraits: face to face with schizophrenia’ at the National Portrait Gallery, London, 21 July – 3 December 1995.
Notes
Title provided by the Estate of Bryan Charnley.
Dated 11-16.4.91 on recto. Numbered 1 on verso.
Ownership note
Purchased by Wellcome Collection in 2018 from the Estate of Bryan Charnley.
Type/Technique
Languages
- English
Where to find it
Location Status Access Closed storesBy appointment Manual request Note