Self-Portrait
David Octavius Hill
British, 1802–1870
1844
A 1844 self-portrait made as a gum-platinum print in which David Octavius Hill uses the soft, painterly tones of the process to present himself as a thoughtful, Romantic figure.
Viewed close up, the artist’s profile and hand emerge from a velvety, grainy darkness—faces and fabrics seem to be painted with shadow and light rather than sharply photographed, creating an intimate, introspective mood.
As an early experiment by a practicing painter, this work helped argue that photography could achieve the expressive depth of painting and belong within the realm of fine art.
Medium
Gum platinum print
Dimensions
8 1/4 × 6 1/4" (21.1 × 16.0 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Gift of Ruth Anderson Collins
Accession
54.1976
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
