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Self Portrait

© the artist. Image credit: Ruth Borchard Collection

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Mackay’s 1971 self portrait was painted at a time when Women’s Liberation was beginning to make a mark. Mackay portrays herself as a somewhat alternatively fashion-conscious young woman of her time. Her long, casually dishevelled hair is complemented by the sensuously shaggy feather boa. The brushwork evokes gradations of grey and black as the boa variously catches the light. The pale features are painted immaculately as to appear initially like those of an antique porcelain doll, although there is nothing remotely doll-like in the artist’s still, self-assertive look. The prominent watch on her upraised right wrist may act as some kind of memento mori, marking the passage of time, passing of youth. Curiously, the colours Mackay wears are traditional, archetypal western colours of the wedding dress and of mourning.

The Ruth Borchard Collection

Title

Self Portrait

Date

1971

Medium

oil on canvas

Measurements

H 76 x W 60.5 cm

Accession number

PCF74

Acquisition method

acquired by Ruth Borchard as part of the original collection

Work type

Painting

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The Ruth Borchard Collection

Greater London England

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