Henryk Gotlib
- Artist: Henryk Gotlib
- Date: circa 1942
- Medium: painted plaster
- Dimensions: 24 3/4 in. x 13 in. (630 mm x 330 mm) overall
- Portrays: Henryk Gotlib
- Museum: The National Portrait Gallery
- Collection record: The National Portrait Gallery website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
This painted‑plaster self‑portrait by Henryk Gotlib sits before you, its height just over 25 inches and width about 13 inches—a very human scale. The surface glows in bright reds, blues and greens that echo the painter’s expressionistic canvases. Though it is a plaster form, paint covers the whole piece, turning the sculpture into an abstract painting in three dimensions. Made in 1942 while Gotlib was living in London after fleeing Kraków, the work reflects his wartime context but was not intended as a realistic likeness; it feels more like an alter‑ego of the artist. It also inspired his later painting “Self‑portrait with a dog,” showing how he reinterpreted the same image in different media.
See it in person
Henryk Gotlib is in the collection of The National Portrait Gallery at St Martin's Place, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
