Self-Portrait with Eliza brings together intimacy, impending parenthood and an awareness of mortality. Lenkiewicz depicts himself seated closely beside Eliza, his hand resting across her abdomen. Seen in the context of her newly discovered pregnancy, this gesture becomes the emotional centre of the painting: a quiet acknowledgement of the new life connecting them.

The two figures occupy a luminous interior, surrounded by cream drapery and softly rendered shadows. Eliza’s flowing white dress extends across the foreground, its folds giving her a commanding presence within the composition. Blue embroidery and dark sleeves punctuate the pale fabric, while related touches of blue and white in the artist’s clothing draw the figures together. Their overlapping forms create a sense of physical closeness, reinforced by the position of their heads.

Both look out towards the viewer with serious, reflective expressions. Eliza’s raised arm lends an informal quality to her pose, while Lenkiewicz’s encircling gesture suggests tenderness and attachment. Their stillness allows room for several emotions: anticipation, vulnerability and the uncertainty that accompanies a change in their lives. Although only two figures are visible, the pregnancy invites us to understand the work as a portrait of an emerging family.

At the lower left, a skull enclosed beneath a glass dome introduces a reminder of death. Its placement is significant. Set apart from the couple and held within a transparent boundary, it can be read as mortality acknowledged and contained. The glass allows death to remain visible, but the living figures dominate the composition.

This relationship gives the painting much of its psychological depth. The skull speaks of life’s limits; the artist’s hand directs attention towards its beginning. The pale fabric, warm light and close grouping of the figures sustain the presence of life across the canvas. Father, mother and unborn child become the focus of a scene in which the prospect of birth exists alongside the knowledge of death.

The painting offers an intimate expression of Lenkiewicz’s wider interest in human relationships. A personal moment opens onto shared experiences of love, responsibility and the passage of time.

Provenance

Purchased directly from the artist by the Alper family, the painting has remained in their collection ever since. Sam Alper was a dear friend of Lenkiewicz and a collector of his work. Previously unavailable for resale since its original acquisition, Self-Portrait with Eliza is now offered through Soden Collection.