Self Portrait

Fidelma Cadmus Kirstein

1947 · Egg tempera on panel · Modern and Contemporary Art

The work of Fidelma Cadmus Kirstein has been overshadowed by that of her brother, the painter Paul Cadmus, and her husband, the prominent cultural figure Lincoln Kirstein. Here she represents herself boldly returning the viewer’s gaze with bare shoulders and plush towel wrapped around her head like a turban. Set against a bright blue ground that suggests a clear sky, she appears to be sunbathing, a possible reference to leisure time she spent with family and friends on New York's Fire Island. Recalling portraits from the Early Renaissance, the detailed egg-tempera technique she employed enhances the self-portrait’s restrained intimacy.

Artist

Fidelma Cadmus Kirstein

Date

1947

Medium

Egg tempera on panel

Department

Modern and Contemporary Art

Credit line

George A. Hearn Fund, 2016