Self Portrait Tipping Hat 1948

Editor: So, this is Philip Evergood's "Self Portrait Tipping Hat," painted in 1948 using oil. The colour palette feels muted, almost melancholic, but there’s something theatrical about the pose, a sort of world-weary showmanship. What strikes you about this work? Curator: Well, for starters, I love that it's so unabashedly... Evergood! It’s less about perfect likeness and more about capturing a mood, isn't it? It’s like he’s pulled back the curtain on his soul, but with a cigarette dangling casually. And that hat! It’s not just a hat; it’s a character in itself, jauntily perched as if to say, “Even in the face of existential angst, we can still manage a tip of the brim." Editor: Definitely! That slight, almost sardonic smile... do you think the tipping of the hat is genuine, or more like a cynical gesture? Curator: Ah, the million-dollar question! I think it’s a dance between the two, isn’t it? Acknowledging the absurdity of life, while still finding the energy for a bit of flair. I wonder what was on his mind that year, 1948... There is also an old-world feel mixed with very new realism. It’s an intriguing cocktail. Does the realism temper that feeling for you? Editor: That’s a great question, as someone trying to enter this world, seeing an artists truth laid bare, feels… real, honest, but perhaps also stylized and inaccessible at the same time. Thank you! Curator: My pleasure! It's a painting that whispers secrets only you can hear.