Self-Portrait, 1954

The self-portraits Hockney made in his teenage years, such as the present one and the pencil drawings nearby, convey a youthful confidence as well as the beginnings of an intense self-scrutiny. The full-frontal pose and attention to detail in clothes and styling reflect Hockney’s burgeoning sense of his own identity. This collage also offers a foretaste of Hockney’s later works, notably his vibrant palette and experimentation with different media.