Trompe L'Oeil (Self-Portrait)

Executed in oil on canvas, the painting employs a restrained palette dominated by muted grays and deep blacks, emphasizing the sitter’s features without decorative excess. The brushwork is smooth, allowing the facial details and the texture of the paper and key to emerge with clarity, aligning with the trompe‑l’œil tradition of creating an illusion of three‑dimensional objects on a flat surface.

Created by Lowry during his career as a portraitist, the work entered the National Gallery of Ireland’s holdings, where it remains part of the museum’s permanent collection. Its acquisition reflects the institution’s commitment to preserving works by notable Irish artists and provides insight into Lowry’s self‑perception as both subject and creator.