No April Fool's joke. After saving up money for the better part of a year, I finally acquired something I've long treasured: Richard Amsel's self-portrait from 1966.
It's strange to think that this piece is now 50 years old. Amsel would have likely been only 18 when he painted it.
I purchased this from Jordan Berman of The Illustrated Gallery, a lovely man who I've spoken to several times over the years. Jordy has a number of Amsel's originals, and is longtime friends with the Amsel family.
This is, to the best of my knowledge, the only self-portrait Richard Amsel ever painted. I could be wrong, of course, but it certainly represents one of the rare personal works done by the artist -- and for that, it holds a very special place in my heart, as well as my home.
