Portrait and a Dream - Jackson Pollock
Archival giclée
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Description
A dual-panel composition by Jackson Pollock, contrasting dense, monochromatic abstraction with a figurative, semi-abstracted portrait.
Portrait and a Dream, created in 1953, represents a dual approach to the canvas that characterises the later period of Jackson Pollock's career. The composition is divided into two distinct sections: a monochromatic, gestural abstraction on the left and a figurative, semi-abstracted head on the right. This juxtaposition offers a direct view into the artist's internal process, contrasting his signature drip technique with a more controlled, representational form.
The left side of the canvas displays the chaotic, linear energy associated with his earlier works. Here, black enamel paint is applied in dense, overlapping webs that suggest movement and psychological turbulence. In contrast, the right side features a recognisable human face, rendered with thick, expressive brushwork and a limited palette of ochre, red, and dark grey. The face appears to emerge from the surrounding abstraction, suggesting a dialogue between the conscious self and the subconscious mind.
Pollock produced this work during a period when he began to reintroduce figurative elements into his practice. The painting functions as a visual record of this transition. By placing the abstract and the figurative side by side, Pollock invites the viewer to compare the two modes of expression. The work remains a primary example of the tension between controlled representation and spontaneous action painting. It avoids a singular narrative, instead presenting a split reality that reflects the artist's own exploration of identity and artistic methodology. The canvas is large in scale, typical of the mid-century American movement, and demands a physical engagement from the viewer to appreciate the varying textures of the paint application.
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Because every print is made to order, we don't offer change-of-mind returns, refunds or exchanges. If your order arrives faulty, damaged or incorrect, we'll replace it free of charge — just contact us within 48 hours of delivery. See our refunds page for full details.
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Manufacturing
Each print is produced to order using 12-colour giclée printing on FSC-certified archival paper. Designed in Britain and printed at your nearest production hub to reduce waste and speed up delivery.
Care and materials
Specific Features
Every Solis piece is made to order with archival, gallery-quality materials built to last.
- Museum-grade giclée printing for rich, fade-resistant colour
- Archival matte fine-art paper, FSC-certified
- Multiple sizes and framing options available
- Frames in black, natural wood, dark wood or white
- Framed prints arrive ready to hang
Care & Cleaning
To keep your artwork looking its best:
- Dust gently with a soft, dry cloth
- Avoid prolonged direct sunlight
- Never use liquid cleaners on the print or canvas surface
- Keep in a dry, room-temperature space
- Handle prints with clean, dry hands
Materials & Sizing
Museum-grade giclée on FSC-certified archival matte paper, with framed and canvas options.
- Paper sizes: A4, A3, A2, A1, A0 and B2 (50×70 cm)
- Canvas: XS (20×30 cm) to Large (60×90 cm)
- Frames: black, natural wood, dark wood or white
Portrait and a Dream - Jackson Pollock
Artist Biography
Jackson Pollock
He drank heavily from his teens onwards. He was in and out of psychiatric treatment, tried Jungian analysis, and spent time working for the WPA Federal Art Project during the Depression. The early paintings are dark, tangled, influenced by Picasso and by the Mexican muralists Orozco and Siqueiros, whose experimental techniques (including pouring paint) Pollock encountered in a workshop.
The drip paintings started in 1947. He laid canvas on the floor of his barn in Springs, Long Island, and poured household enamel paint from tins, flicking and dripping it with sticks, trowels, and hardened brushes. He moved around the canvas, working from all four sides. No easel, no brushes touching surface, no predetermined composition. 'I am nature,' he told an interviewer, which sounds grandiose but describes the method accurately: the paintings record physical movement through space.
The drip period lasted roughly four years. By 1951 he had largely stopped, returning to figurative work that nobody wanted. His marriage to the painter Lee Krasner deteriorated alongside the drinking. He died in a car crash in 1956, at forty-four, drunk at the wheel. Krasner spent the next three decades managing his legacy and making her own paintings, which were excellent and consistently overlooked.
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