Self Portrait

A portrait study of an elderly man with long, wispy hair and a full beard, rendered in soft pastel on paper. The work captures fine detail in the facial features and the texture of the hair, whilst the shoulders and upper torso are suggested with looser handling. The palette of blues and earth tones creates an introspective mood, with delicate layering of colour revealing the artist’s studied approach to form. As a late work from Boonzaier’s eight-decade career, this self-portrait demonstrates his continued mastery of portraiture.