Self-Portrait: Sowing New Seed - William Orpen
Archival giclée
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Description
William Orpen's 1913 Self-Portrait: Sowing New Seed depicts the artist in his studio, surrounded by figures and objects that offer insight into his artistic practice and personal reflections.
William Orpen's 1913 oil on canvas, Self-Portrait: Sowing New Seed, presents the artist in his studio, surrounded by figures and objects that offer insight into his artistic practice and personal reflections. Orpen, an Irish artist known for his portraits and war paintings, positions himself in the foreground, gazing directly at the viewer with a somewhat detached expression. He is dressed in a light-coloured coat, his palette and brushes held in his left hand. The composition is divided into distinct planes, with the artist occupying the immediate foreground. Behind Orpen, the background is a complex arrangement of figures and symbolic elements. To the left, a nude female figure stands beside what appears to be a classical sculpture, possibly alluding to artistic inspiration or the classical tradition. On the right, a group of figures, including two embracing children and two men in hats, are set against a backdrop of stylised foliage and flowers. The painting's title, Sowing New Seed, suggests themes of creation, fertility, and the cyclical nature of life and art. The colour palette is dominated by yellows and blues, creating a warm yet slightly unsettling atmosphere. The overall effect is one of introspection and artistic commentary, inviting viewers to consider the artist's role in shaping and interpreting the world around him.
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Because every print is made to order, we don't offer change-of-mind returns, refunds or exchanges. If your order arrives faulty, damaged or incorrect, we'll replace it free of charge — just contact us within 48 hours of delivery. See our refunds page for full details.
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Manufacturing
Each print is produced to order using 12-colour giclée printing on FSC-certified archival paper. Designed in Britain and printed at your nearest production hub to reduce waste and speed up delivery.
Care and materials
Specific Features
Every Solis piece is made to order with archival, gallery-quality materials built to last.
- Museum-grade giclée printing for rich, fade-resistant colour
- Archival matte fine-art paper, FSC-certified
- Multiple sizes and framing options available
- Frames in black, natural wood, dark wood or white
- Framed prints arrive ready to hang
Care & Cleaning
To keep your artwork looking its best:
- Dust gently with a soft, dry cloth
- Avoid prolonged direct sunlight
- Never use liquid cleaners on the print or canvas surface
- Keep in a dry, room-temperature space
- Handle prints with clean, dry hands
Materials & Sizing
Museum-grade giclée on FSC-certified archival matte paper, with framed and canvas options.
- Paper sizes: A4, A3, A2, A1, A0 and B2 (50×70 cm)
- Canvas: XS (20×30 cm) to Large (60×90 cm)
- Frames: black, natural wood, dark wood or white
Self-Portrait: Sowing New Seed - William Orpen
Artist Biography
William Orpen
During the First World War he was sent to the Western Front as an official war artist for the British government. He was the most prolific of the war artists, producing 138 works: drawings and paintings of soldiers, dead men, German prisoners, ruined trenches, and the blank exhaustion that photographs of the period cannot quite capture. He donated all 138 to the British government. They are now in the Imperial War Museum.
After the war he painted The Signing of the Peace Treaty at Versailles, which should have been the capstone of his career. Instead it became a controversy. He also painted To the Unknown British Soldier in France, a composition that originally included ghostly military figures alongside a flag-draped coffin. The Imperial War Museum refused to accept it until he removed the figures in 1927.
He never fully recovered from the physical and mental effects of the war. He continued to paint society portraits at extraordinary prices (over 50,000 pounds a year by 1929), but those who knew him said something had changed.
He was Irish, from Stillorgan in County Dublin, a fact that became complicated as the independence movement gathered force during and after the war. He accepted a knighthood from the British crown. He died in 1931, aged fifty-two, and faded to near-total obscurity until 2001, when a portrait sold at Sotheby's for nearly two million pounds.
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