Artwork
Self-Portrait
Self-Portrait is an oil painting by the German Romanticist artist Christian Albrecht Jensen. It dates from 1836 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work functions as both a formal record of the artist's appearance and a statement of his artistic identity within the Danish art community of the 1830s.
The self-portrait shows the artist Christian Albrecht Jensen depicted in a direct frontal pose, clothed in a dark coat with a high collar, his hands loosely held at his sides. A dark background and muted palette focus attention on the sitter's face and expression, conveying introspection. The work functions as both a formal record of the artist's appearance and a statement of his artistic identity within the Danish art community of the 1830s.
The painting measures 340.0 cm in height and 270.0 cm in width, executed in oil paint on canvas.
It is housed in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst, where it remains on public display.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil on canvas in 1836, the portrait presents a tightly controlled handling typical of academic portraiture, with smooth transitions across the face and restrained brushwork in the costume and background. The palette relies on a subdued range dominated by earth tones, enlivened by the sitter’s ruddy complexion and the white highlights of the cravat and collar. The composition is frontal and symmetrical, focusing attention on the face and directing the viewer’s gaze through the direct engagement of the subject’s eyes.
The measured application and careful modeling of light suggest a studio setting, consistent with the conventions of Danish Golden Age portraiture.
History & Provenance
Christian Albrecht Jensen created his oil-on-canvas Self-Portrait in 1836. The work measures 340 cm in height and 270 cm in width. It entered the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst, where it remains located. The painting depicts the artist himself and is classified as a portrait within the self-portrait genre.
Christian Albrecht Jensen's 1836 oil painting, Self-Portrait, is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst. The work depicts the artist and is executed in oil on canvas. The provided sources do not list a specific inventory or accession number for the piece, nor do they record any exhibition history.
Overview
Christian Albrecht Jensen’s self‑portrait, executed in oil in 1836, presents the artist in middle age, dressed in a dark green coat with a high collar and a white cravat. He rests his hands on a red cushion and gazes directly at the viewer with a solemn demeanor. The work is part of the Statens Museum for Kunst’s collection and reflects the artist’s prominence within Denmark’s Golden Age of painting.
Artist & collection
Artist
Christian Albrecht Jensen (26 June 1792 – 13 July 1870) was a Danish painter who specialised in portrait painting and was active during the Danish Golden Age.
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