The artwork titled “Self-portrait in a cracked mirror,” created by Richard Hamilton in 1985, is a significant piece within the Pop Art movement. As a self-portrait, it delves into the genre of personal representation, embodying the artist’s exploration of his own image through a unique and distorted lens.
In this artwork, the artist has depicted his face with striking fragmentation, as if viewed through a cracked mirror. The composition is rendered with a combination of soft lines and intricately detailed strokes, which together create a sense of both clarity and distortion. The facial features appear disjointed yet recognizeable, illustrating a duality between realism and abstraction. The prominence of the fractures across the visage introduces themes of self-perception, identity, and the subjective nature of reality, hallmarks of Hamilton’s approach within the broader context of Pop Art. The gray-scale palette further accentuates the introspective and contemplative mood of the piece, emphasizing the depth of personal insight and artistic introspection.
