Study for "Twenty Years Later"

Preparatory drawing for an important portrait in Portuguese art. It was published in Paródia – Comedia Portugueza, on June 1903, with the title ‘Twenty Years Later’. It shows two self-portraits of the artist, face to face, at two points in his life. A young, haughty Rafael is using his own cigarette to light the cigarette of an old, friendly Rafael, who thanks him by raising his hat. Both carry in their pockets the publications launched during each of the two periods, which are noted here: O António Maria, in 1879 and A Paródia, in 1903. The street scene is completed by two cats, one young and the other old, they too bearing witness to the passage of time. Initially, the cats were located elsewhere, with sketches still visible on the sides of the paper. The drawing also features notes for the engraver about the caption and colours to be used, relating to the final result the artist was seeking.