About the Piece

his finely painted, intimate portrait captures the artist at the age of 33 years, already 23 years into his career. His days as the National Gallery child prodigy sensation are well behind him and after the success of the last two decades, he is already a celebrated portraitist with the global elite. Driven by his belief in being a conduit for the Gods, Christian must have felt himself an unstoppable force of nature. Yet in this Paris portrait, there is something else. Already there in his eyes is a man weathered by his experience so far. Of course there is strength in this frontal stare, his lips pursed, his brow slightly furrowed. However the eyes give away vulnerability. One is reminded of Christian's great hero, Rembrandt, and some of his most heart-rending self-portraits. One senses that for all the pomp and splendour of his circles, he is just a man and this burden of artistic genius is heavy. The urgent fight to create life on the canvas comes easy but still the grapple takes its toll.