Photographed by Scott Wolff, then scanned from a transparency and color checked by Pat Cagney.

Self Portrait for "Bedroom Painting #15"

Artist Tom Wesselmann (American, 1931-2004)

Date1969

MediumGraphite on paper

DimensionsOverall: 23 x 29 in. (58.4 x 73.7 cm)

ClassificationsModern art

Credit LineMuseum purchase

Object number87.507

Terms

Self-portrait
Tom Wesselmann
Bedroom Painting No. 15
Black
White
Pop art
New York

On View

Not on view

DescriptionThis is a pencil on paper drawing. It is a study for the painting _Bedroom Painting #15_ (see object 77.420). It depicts the artists' self-portrait within the larger painting (see object 77.420). In the foreground on the left, there is an orange, and on the right side there is the curve of a pillow. The portrait, drawn from a photograph, is of a man's collar, neck and head; he looks directly at the viewer.

Label TextTom Wesselmann American, 1931–2004 top Drawing for Bedroom Painting #15, ca. 1968 Graphite on paper bottom Self-Portrait for Bedroom Painting #15, 1969 Graphite on paper Tom Wesselmann made these preparatory drawings for the monumental canvas nearby. By the late 1960s, Wesselmann had perfected a traditional working method that included creating numerous sketches such as this pair. In the first sketch, Wesselmann determined the painting’s overall composition, carefully arranging a pillow, orange, rose, photograph, and female foot. As the drawing indicates, he initially planned to depict the sole of the foot, but ultimately flipped the image to show the top, its glossy red nails heightening the work’s sensual allure and chromatic punch. In the second drawing, he perfected the details of the bedside photograph. The self-portrait shows him gazing raptly at the “nipple” of an orange—a tantalizing allusion to the female nude lounging nearby. Museum purchase 87.508 and 87.507, respectively