A Portrait of the Artists as Young Men
- Artist: Gilbert & George
- Date: 1972
- Medium: Video, black and white, and sound (mono)
- Dimensions: duration: 7min, 22sec
- Museum: Tate Britain
- Collection record: Tate Britain website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
This is “A Portrait of the Artists as Young Men” by Gilbert & George, recorded in 1972. The piece is a black‑and‑white video, about seven minutes long, showing both artists turning their heads slowly in front of a fixed camera. It feels like a painting – the title suggests that – but the medium is film. You hear thunder and rain on the soundtrack, an atmospheric choice that the duo describe as “very emotional.” Their faces reflect bright photographic light; you’ll notice they wanted viewers to watch it with high contrast so the details show clearly.
The performers dress in simple suits and ties, wearing mask‑like personas that they had been developing since 1969 when they first presented themselves as “living sculptures.” In the video, you can see the actors’ faces almost frame themselves, fitting the idea that it’s all one big portrait. The slow turns give a sense of an artist carefully examining a model, which fits with their self‑portraiture practice: they always show up in their own work.
The film is accompanied by a printed certificate and was released as part of the Tate Gallery Report 1972–1974. It’s a straightforward yet evocative self‑portrait made in the early ’70s that lets us see Gilbert & George as both subjects and makers.
See it in person
A Portrait of the Artists as Young Men is in the collection of Tate Britain on Millbank, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
