Self-Portrait with Candles

In Self-Portrait with Candles, one of three works in the Ben Uri collection, the artist shows herself in modest dress and with her head covered. She holds the two Shabbat candles which are traditionally kindled by the woman of the house about twenty minutes before sundown to mark the formal beginning of the Sabbath on Friday evening. The work combines her interest in portraiture and interiors, and is influenced by her admiration for Rembrandt, particularly in the use of light and shadow. It also shows her characteristic use of a limited palette of white, cobalt blue and rose or orange madder.