Painted in 1964 when the artist was 23 or 24, this Robert Finlayson self-portrait was probably created in his studio at the Haymarket, Sydney. In the background are shelves with the books and objects he'd collected, many from second hand shops around the city and King's Cross. Depicted on the right is a plaster bust of a composer, one of three that he had until he died.

 

Probably it is the one of Liszt which also appears in Still life with bust of Liszt. They are the only two paintings in this particular style which are known to have survived. (A third does exist, but much of the paint has lifted off the board and is flaking. There is also a somewhat similar work on paper.)

Bob had begun to move away from strict, if lyrical and individual, realism into a position where the central points are emphasised yet blend with the non-central, and the beauty of colour expresses itself through a deftly controlled and balanced picture. Throughout his career he continued to explore different ways of perceiving and expressing "reality".