Monday Morning Glory
Signed Print

The colour palette here ranges from patches of white paint on the forehead and cheekbones of the central male figure to dark shades of grey and purple covering the remaining areas of the face. Strokes of black paint form the background, blending with a subtle outline of the man’s beard and thus attributing his demeanour with a dark, ghostly dimension. Layers of white paint cover parts of the man’s face including his left eye, making it difficult for the viewer to fully decipher his facial expression. Such experimental application of paint creates a dark, introspective undertone attesting to Harrington’s affinity with such masters of portraiture as Lucian Freud. In particular, the work brings to mind Self-Portrait, Reflection (2002), in which the famous British painter’s appearance reflects his reckoning with the passage of time and the approach of death. Here as well, the emotions of anguish and distress visible dimly on the man’s face appear with a sense of foreboding.