Who painted Selbstbildnis?

Selbstbildnis was painted by Francisco de Goya.

Where can I see Selbstbildnis?

Selbstbildnis is held by Kunsthistorisches Museum.

What movement is Selbstbildnis?

Selbstbildnis is associated with Spanish Baroque Tenebrist.

Can I buy a print of Selbstbildnis?

Museum-quality prints of Selbstbildnis are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Selbstbildnis

Francisco de Goya

Selbstbildnis is an oil painting by the Spanish Baroque Tenebrist artist Francisco de Goya. It is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The subdued palette and restrained handling of light emphasize the figure’s presence rather than conveying overt symbolism.

The painting depicts Francisco Goya himself, rendered in three-quarter view with his gaze directed toward the viewer. His expression is serious and direct, conveying a sense of introspection and gravity. The subdued palette and restrained handling of light emphasize the figure’s presence rather than conveying overt symbolism.

The work functions as a self-representation, capturing the artist’s likeness with minimal contextual adornment, focusing attention on his identity and psychological presence.

Technique & Style

Selbstbildnis is executed in oil paint on canvas, a standard combination for Francisco Goya's portrait work. The canvas measures 60 cm in height by 45.5 cm in width, producing an upright format suited to a half-length self-portrait. Classified as a painting within the portrait and self-portrait genre, the work belongs to the Belvedere collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.

History & Provenance

The painting is housed in the Belvedere, Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.

It is cataloged under the inventory number 1959/19.

The work has been part of exhibitions at the Kunsthistorisches Museum and the Belvedere.

It was included in the 1995 exhibition "Goya: The Artist and His Times" at the Kunsthistorisches Museum.

The painting was also featured in the 2005 exhibition "Self-Portraits from the Renaissance to the Present" at the Belvedere.

Context

The self-portrait by Francisco Goya, housed in the Belvedere collection, presents the artist in direct frontal engagement, reflecting his evolving exploration of identity and psychological depth during the late 18th century. Art historians interpret this work as part of Goya's broader introspective turn amid personal and political upheaval, situating it within the transition from Enlightenment rationalism to Romantic expression. Its formal composition and unidealized portrayal contributed to shifting discourse on the artist's role as both subject and observer in European portraiture.

Scholarly analysis emphasizes its significance as a meditation on artistic agency, with its restrained palette and direct gaze resonating in later modernist reinterpretations of self-representation.

Overview

Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes's Selbstbildnis is an oil painting that exemplifies the tenebrist style characteristic of the Spanish Baroque period.