Self-Portrait 

This is Tomás Joseph Harris's self-portrait, an undated drawing rendered with pen and ink. Harris's intense gaze meets ours, offering an intimate glimpse into the artist's persona. Harris was involved with espionage, and his life offers a glimpse into the intersection of art and the covert world of mid-20th century espionage. Produced in a time of shifting social values, how does the artwork speak to the politics of imagery and the social conditions that shape artistic production? Was it a conscious choice of self-representation or an institutional expectation? To understand Harris's self-portrait, it is important to explore the historical context in which it was created. Archival materials, biographies, and accounts of his contemporaries help us to understand how the image creates meaning through cultural references and historical associations. By examining the social and institutional conditions that shaped its creation, we can gain insight into the significance of art as a product of its time.