Portrait of the Artist

Joseph Edward Southall 1861 - 1944

Summary

This portrait of a young man is rendered using subtle tonal gradation and fine modeling. As the sole focus of the print he is portrayed against a plain background with no props. The man is only seen from the shoulders up but he appears to be in smart dress as he is wearing a tie, shirt and jacket. He is looking towards the viewer but his head is slightly turned so that it is not seen straight on. His eyes are the darkest part of the print and this, with their central positioning compositionally, makes them a focal point. His hair is smoothed down from a side parting and he has a beard and thick moustache. In the bottom right hand corner there is the artist’s signature and the date 1918.