Figure Studies 1
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This is the first of four self-portraits, a pen and ink rendition, created by Smarkusz as two separate pairs. See a comparison of all four on the Self-Portrait Pairs page. -
Vincent was born in 1919, and was raised in the "Little Poland" neighborhood of New Britain, CT. He graduated from high school in 1938, near the end of the Great Depression. We see in the image above that his nick name was "V" by then, and that he was yet to reinstate the Z at the end of the family name in his signature. We also learn from the quote above that the young artist was enamored with Greek mythology, and with mystique - themes used extensively in his later artwork.
For a longer excerpt of the Oscar Wilde passage that V used for his senior High School yearbook quote Click Here.
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The artist's mother, Michalina Karpiej Smarkus, posed in this session at home for one of Vincent's drawing assignments from the Hartford Art School in late 1940. It is rendered in pen and ink like his self-portrait from the same time. See "Drawing Session with his mother in 1940"
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One of many pen and ink figure studies Vincent rendered at the train station while commuting to and from Hartford Art School in 1939 and 1940.
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It is interesting to trace the development of this artist's signature. As the figures in his art evolve through the years, so too does his signature - as if seeking and finding its final form and identity.
The Polish family name Smarkusz had been shortened to Smarkus when Vincent's father Wincenty immigrated to the U.S. in 1912. Vincent reinstated the Z at the end of of his signature, after graduating from high school in 1938.
A presentation of its graphical metamorphosis, and an interpretatiion of the artist's subjective experience in creating such an important symbol of identity, may be viewed on the "Smarkusz Signature Evolution" page.
