Self-Portrait (ca. 1866)
Original title: Self-Portrait
kurzbeschreibung
Around 1866 Courbet made this self-portrait as a Conté crayon drawing on paper. The artist appears in half profile, his head resting thoughtfully on his hand; signature and date are found at lower left.
Description
Courbet is seen in half profile, his head tilted slightly to the right. Long, curly hair tied in a knot, together with a full, carefully kept beard and moustache, frames the face. His hand rests against his cheek, lending the pose a brooding quality. A visible collar sits above the jacket; the plain, sparse background makes the figure stand out. At lower left are the signature 'G. Courbet' and the year '1866'.
Context
At a time when Courbet was long established as the leading figure of Realism, he returned again and again to his own likeness. The drawing of about 1866 falls into a phase in which, alongside portrait commissions, he also pursued his own studies. It takes its place in a series of self-portraits executed in various techniques and poses.
Impact
The pensive pose and open gaze give the sheet an introspective, dignified air. Because Conté crayon allows soft transitions, a calm, almost intimate mood lies over the portrait.
Technique
Conté crayon on paper here permits finely graded tonal values between light and dark. Hatching and varying stroke density reveal the artist's hand. The beige tone of the paper acts as a base lightness and gives the drawing a natural light.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)