Self Portrait with Hat in a Landscape

Always forging ahead with new ideas and experimenting with different media, Leon Underwood was a non-conformist and pioneer in whichever field he turned his attention towards. His etchings were made over a period of less than five years, yet his brief venture into intaglio printmaking produced some of the finest etchings of his day – notably in portraiture. Drawn directly from life, and distinguished by its remarkably subtle rendering of tone and facial expression, Self Portrait with Hat in a Landscape was one of the very few Underwood etchings to be published in an edition. Sadly, but underlining the significance of this remaining etching, his plates were stolen and destroyed for their value as scrap metal.