Artwork
Self-Portrait
Self-Portrait is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Henri Fantin-Latour. It dates from 1858 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower left: 1858-
About this work
Henri Fantin-Latour painted himself young, seated in a suit with a serious expression. The careful handling of clothing and background already shows real skill. Oil on canvas, 1858.
Subject & Meaning
No additional allegorical symbols are noted; the meaning derives from the act of self-representation and the documentation of the artist's likeness.
The work is a self-portrait that presents the artist himself as its sole figure. The sources identify the depicted individual as Henri Fantin-Latour, confirming that the painting functions as a direct visual record of the painter's appearance in 1858. As a self-portrait, it serves to assert the artist's professional identity within the contemporary art world.
The composition, typical of mid-nineteenth-century portraiture, emphasizes frontal engagement and careful rendering of attire, underscoring the sitter's role as both creator and subject. No additional allegorical symbols are noted; the meaning derives from the act of self-representation and the documentation of the artist's likeness.
Technique & Style
This self-portrait by Henri Fantin-Latour is executed in oil on canvas, a traditional medium well suited to the painterly handling characteristic of his early practice. The relatively modest dimensions of the canvas, 40.7 cm in height by 32.7 cm in width, indicate an intimate, closely observed study of the artist's own features rather than a formal display piece. The work is classified as a painting within the portrait genre, depicting Fantin-Latour himself.
Its oil-based technique on a woven canvas support is consistent with the standard academic practice of mid-nineteenth-century French portraiture. No specific condition reports or detailed handling notes are recorded in the available documentation.
History & Provenance
Henri Fantin-Latour painted this Self-Portrait in 1858, working in oil on canvas. The work passed directly from the artist to Jean-Baptiste Antoine Guillemet before entering the New York art market through the dealer C. W. Kraushaar. On 15 September 1927 it was sold to the collector Chester Dale (1883–1962).
Following Dale's death, the painting entered the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., in 1963 as part of his bequest, where it is accessioned under inventory number 1963.10.25 and remains in the collection.
Overview
Henri Fantin-Latour's Self-Portrait, painted in 1858, is an oil on canvas work that captures the artist's own likeness. This early painting exemplifies the Realist movement, which prioritized depicting subjects as they appeared in life, without idealization. It offers insight into Fantin-Latour's developing artistic abilities and his engagement with the prevailing artistic trends of his time.
Context
This self-portrait emerged during a period when Henri Fantin-Latour, a French painter and lithographer, was establishing his artistic identity within the Realist movement. While he would later become recognized for his evocative still lifes and group portraits featuring prominent Parisian cultural figures, this early work showcases his foundational commitment to depicting subjects with objective clarity and precision.
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Artist
Ignace Henri Jean Theodore Fantin-Latour (French pronunciation:; 14 January 1836 – 25 August 1904) was a French painter and lithographer best known for his flower paintings and group portraits of Parisian artists and writers.
