Episode 1
Maggi Hambling discusses her self-portrait of 1978, reflecting on its elements which include lovers, a cat, a cardsharp, a penguin and a fish, as well as the nature of portraiture.
Maggi Hambling's self portrait of 1978 was made, according to the artist, when her life was 'in a muddle'. Spiritually in love with one person but having an affair with another, the artist/subject sits centre frame surrounded by the swirl of forms - a teapot and a naked torso, a penguin and a puffer fish, a card trickster and a big tabby cat.
How do these things come together to describe a life? Maggi Hambling takes us on a tour of the picture and reflects on the nature of portraiture - from the great masters such as Rembrandt and Titian to her own celebrated work depicting her friend George Melly.
Last on
More episodes
Previous
You are at the first episode
Clip
-
![]()
Maggi Hambling's self-portrait
Duration: 02:26
Broadcasts
- Mon 7 May 2012 22:45成人快手 Radio 3
- Tue 13 Aug 2013 22:45成人快手 Radio 3
Death in Trieste
A 1760s murder still informs ideas about aesthetics, a certain sort of sex, and death.
Watch: My Deaf World
Five compelling experiences of what it is like to be deaf in 21st-century Britain.
The Book that Changed Me
Five figures from the arts and science introduce books that changed their lives and work.
Download The Essay
Download all the episodes from the series and listen at your leisure.
Podcast
-
![]()
The Essay
Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.
