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16th self-portrait.
- Charnley, Bryan, 1949-1991
- Date
- 12 July 1991
- Reference
- 3049701i
- 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: 16th self-portrait. Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Online resources
- Related materials at Wellcome Library See the related archive PP/BCH: View resource
Selected images from this work
About this work
Also known as
Sixteenth self-portrait.
Publication/Creation
12 July 1991.
Physical description
1 painting : oil on canvas ; 50.9 x 51 cm
Contributors
Biographical note
Charnley recorded the creation of the self portrait series in his diary, there were no entries recorded for the 16th portrait (12 July) or 17th portrait (19 July).
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. 16th self-portrait. [Oil on canvas]. Wellcome Collection no. 3049701i
References note
Reproduced in Charnley, J. (2018). Bryan Charnley: art and adversity.
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.
Wording in the painting reads "HOPE", "The cards are no good that I'm holding unless they are far from another world", "memory concentra", "past". The words enemy and rival are repeated in the painting.
Dated 12/7/91 + 10 mins on recto. Numbered 15(b) 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