R.B. Kitaj, R.A. (1932-2007)

Executed in 1978, Catalan Cap emulates Kitaj’s enigmatic drawing technique, as well as displaying the intellectual approach that he adopted in his artistic portrait. While the woman is most likely an imagined figure, the male figure is a self-portrait, and Kitaj has represented himself in direct reference to Rembrandt’s Self-Portrait as the Apostle Paul, 1661 (Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam). This work was most likely executed during Kitaj’s sojourn in Sant Feliu, Catalonia, and the title makes reference to the typical hat worn in the region. The traditional cap is a distinctive red and Kitaj has added a hint of pigment in order to distinguish it from the otherwise monochromatic composition. The hat which Rembrandt wears in his work is not red, nor a traditional Catalan Cap, but the minimal amount of colour employed by Kitaj allows for this dual reference.

In this work, one artist adopts the identity of another, who in turn adopts the identity of a historical figure, and this matrix of layered meaning was certainly attractive to Kitaj. Self-portraiture was a consistent motif throughout Kitaj’s work. The artist's presence is additionally implied through the female model's actions, as she directs her gaze towards both Rembrandt and potentially indicating Kitaj, symbolised by a finger entering from the right. Marco Livingstone noted Kitaj’s intertextual approach to his work as distinct from his contemporaries; ‘Even among like-minded colleagues he is unusual in aligning himself so openly and unreservedly with the artists whom he regards as his real mentors’ (M. Livingstone, Kitaj, London, 1999, p. 31).