Anton Refregier
American, born Russia, 1905 - 1977Self-Portrait with Engraving Tool, ca. 1957
Not on view
Woodcut on paper
Dimensions15 5/16 × 10 5/8 in. (38.9 × 27 cm)
Image: 10 3/16 × 8 3/8 in. (25.9 × 21.3 cm)
Gift of Mr. Jack B. Pierson in memory of Mr. Robert Martin Purcell, 1992.23
Anton Refregier’s self-portrait depicts the artist working on this unique self-portrait, as the artist’s back faces toward the viewer, not his face. His left arm curls around the drawing board possessively, his right arm begins to descend on the picture before it. The shirt that he wears appears thin and loose around him, as it bundles around his arms and back. His hair is slicked back, falling just underneath his shirt. The artist is captivated by the the two doves in the air that fly into the sun’s rays, though it is dark outside. The darkness may be caused by the billowing towers that gush out smoke, creating darkness, even though it is day. Refregier may be making reference to the beauty of the earth clouded by man-made pollutants.
