The Percivals 2026

About the Artwork

This double self-portrait was painted entirely from life, using two mirrors facing one another. I wanted to be able to observe myself from both a second- and third-person perspective, and to offer the viewer an insight into the tension arising from these two resulting versions of me. I also enjoyed the weird spatial relationships that emerged with the reflected surface of the second mirror and the relationships of the figures.

It seems fairly universal to experience significant doubt at some point during the process of creating nearly every artwork—or, in fact, any long-term project. I would like to think that this picture can offer some comfort and camaraderie for anyone feeling this, and encourage them to stagger on. I have long been moved by this compassionate quality in Rembrandt’s Self-portrait as the Apostle Paul (1661) and hoped to emulate this in my own small way.

About the Artist

Scott Breton is a Brisbane-based painter and sculptor with a long history of drawing the model from life. As such, his work emphasises gesture, vitality, and interiority across both figurative and landscape subjects. Scott predominantly uses traditional media and hopes to contribute to continuing the relevance of the rich and diverse Old Masters approach and ethos to a contemporary audience.