Maggi Hambling

Sitterback to top

• Maggi Hambling (1945-), Painter. Sitter in 13 portraits, Artist of 8 portraits.

Artistback to top

• Maggi Hambling (1945-), Painter. Artist of 8 portraits, Sitter in 13 portraits.

This portraitback to top

Maggi Hambling studied at Camberwell (1964-7), with Cedric Morris and Lett Haines, and at the Slade (1967-9). She was the first Artist in Residence at the National Gallery in 1980-1 and is known for her expressive response to her sitters and to the natural world. In this self-portrait, the artist has painted herself with three arms to hold her three essentials of life: a cigarette, a drink and a paintbrush. All of the items in the portrait have a personal significance to the artist who painted the portrait when her love life was 'in a muddle': spiritually she was in love with the person who made the teapot, physically she was in love with the person we glimpse in the lower right hand corner of the unprimed canvas.

Linked publicationsback to top

• Audio Guide
• I-Spy National Portrait Gallery, 2010, p. 50
• Gibson, Robin, The Face in the Corner: Animal Portraits from the Collections of the National Portrait Gallery, 1998, p. 91
• Rideal, Liz, Mirror Mirror: Self-portraits by Women Artists, 2001 (accompanying the exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery from 12 September 2001 to 20 January 2002), p. 97
• Saywell, David; Simon, Jacob, Complete Illustrated Catalogue, 2004, p. 274

Linked displays and exhibitionsback to top

• Artists and sitters (From 21 April 2007)
• Britain 1960-1990 (From 18 September 2004)
• Mirror Mirror: Self-portraits by women artists (12 September 2001 - 20 January 2002)

Subjects & Themesback to top

• Allegory in portraits
• Art in art
• Making art
• Nudes and naked figures
• Pets and animals
• Self-portraits
• Smoking