Becoming Gustav Metzger: Uncovering The Early Years, 1945-59

This electric painting is thought to be an idiosyncratic portrait of artist Cliff Holden, Metzger’s fellow pupil at Bomberg’s classes. Its subject matter and orientation have recently been debated. For Andrew Wilson, the materials (oil on canvas applied with a paintbrush) and manner of painting suggest it may relate to works dating from 1946, while the existence of the simple wooden strips tacked to each side of the work as a frame – suggests that it was included in Metzger’s 1960 Temple Gallery retrospectively. Fascinatingly, however, it has previously been hung as if it were a landscape, presented as Untitled Painting (Bomberg’s Composition Class) and assigned the date c. 1953 – the last year of Metzger’s association with Bomberg.