The self portraits of David Hockney often record the act of self portraiture, such as the fact of a painter looking in a mirror and trying to record what he sees. His portraits present the ideal of honest observation. This piece from the 1954, is one of his early self portraits created at the age of 17. The backdrop for this piece is a page from The Times, as he wanted to make a joke with one of the headlines. He was inspired by the headline on page 14 about the fortunes of the wool industry. This piece depicts an artist as a teenager painted against the headline “Textile Trade Improves”. As an intentional reference, it is a playful element of the portrait. The piece was discovered a few years ago, and the artist himself was amazed that it has survived. (http://www.widewalls.ch/famous-self-portraits/david-hockney-self-portrait-1954/)