Where can I see Self Portrait at approximately 60 years of age?

Self Portrait at approximately 60 years of age is held by Rijksmuseum.

What movement is Self Portrait at approximately 60 years of age?

Self Portrait at approximately 60 years of age is associated with Rococo painting.

Can I buy a print of Self Portrait at approximately 60 years of age?

Museum-quality prints of Self Portrait at approximately 60 years of age are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Self Portrait at approximately 60 years of age

Engel Sam , 1762

Self Portrait at approximately 60 years of age is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Engel Sam. It dates from 1762 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The meaning lies primarily in its function as a personal record of appearance and as an assertion of the artist’s identity at a mature stage of his career.

The work portrays Engel Sam himself, executed as a self‑portrait when the artist was about sixty years old. As a straightforward likeness, the painting records the sitter’s facial features and attire without additional allegorical elements; its iconography is limited to the conventional presentation of the artist’s face and upper torso. The meaning lies primarily in its function as a personal record of appearance and as an assertion of the artist’s identity at a mature stage of his career.

Technique & Style

The painting employs oil on canvas, a medium typical of eighteenth-century European portraiture. Its dimensions are 79.5 cm in height and 63.5 cm in width, consistent with intimate studio formats used for self-representation. The handling shows smooth, blended transitions in flesh tones and controlled brushwork in the costume details, reflecting the refined academic manner of the period.

Formal qualities include a three-quarter view turned slightly to the right, directing attention toward the sitter’s gaze and hands, which rest at the lower edge. The subdued palette and restrained modeling emphasize the sober self-presentation characteristic of Dutch portrait conventions in the mid-eighteenth century.

History & Provenance

Engel Sam painted Self Portrait at approximately 60 years of age in 1762, working in oil on canvas. The painting depicts the artist himself at around sixty years old. The work entered the collection of the Rijksmuseum, where it remains.

Legacy

The work's impact is evident in its enduring presence within art historical discourse, particularly regarding late-career self-representation. Its inclusion in the Rijksmuseum collection has facilitated sustained scholarly attention to Engel Sam's mature portraiture, influencing interpretations of 18th-century Dutch painting techniques and compositional strategies in later portraiture. The painting's state of preservation and accessibility have enabled comparative studies of self-portraiture across European art traditions.

Overview

Engel Sam’s oil portrait, dated 1762, presents the artist at roughly sixty years of age. The work is part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection and measures the mature phase of Sam’s self-representation, offering a direct visual record of his appearance and demeanor in the later years of his life.