Power and Beauty No. 6
- Artist: Colin Self
- Date: 1968
- Medium: Screenprint on paper
- Dimensions: image: 712 x 989 mm
- Museum: Tate Britain
- Collection record: Tate Britain website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
This is “Power and Beauty No. 6” by Colin Self. Created in 1968, it’s a screenprint on paper that measures roughly 712 by 989 mm. The work sits within Self’s larger “Power and Beauty” series, a playful exploration of animal imagery and photographic influence. Here we see a vivid peacock, its plumage rendered in bold, almost abstract strokes that emphasize feather structure. The artist uses a high‑contrast palette, blending muted grays with striking blues and greens, creating a striking formal quality that feels both photographic and painterly. The screenprint technique lends a crisp, almost mechanical precision to the feathered detail, while the layering of color adds depth and movement. Self’s focus on a single, iconic bird allows the viewer to contemplate the power of nature’s beauty through a modern lens. This piece was purchased in 1994 and now resides in a collection that celebrates the intersection of contemporary printmaking and traditional wildlife motifs. The striking composition invites you to pause and consider how a single bird can embody both grace and power in the hands of a master printmaker.
See it in person
Power and Beauty No. 6 is in the collection of Tate Britain on Millbank, 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.
