Who painted Self-Portrait?

Self-Portrait was painted by Francisco Leonardoni in 1701.

Where can I see Self-Portrait?

Self-Portrait is held by Museo del Prado.

What movement is Self-Portrait?

Self-Portrait is associated with Rococo painting.

Can I buy a print of Self-Portrait?

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

Self-Portrait by Francisco Leonardoni (1701)

About this work

The painting is a self-portrait, and the artist's use of chiaroscuro creates a sense of depth and volume.

This portrait shows a man with wavy brown hair and a brown coat with fur trim. He is holding a brush in his right hand and a palette in his left. The background is dark, with a lighter area behind the man's head.

The man's expression is serious, and he is looking directly at the viewer. His clothing and hairstyle suggest that he is a gentleman from the early 18th century.

The painting is a self-portrait, and the artist's use of chiaroscuro creates a sense of depth and volume. The subject of this painting is Francisco Leonardoni.

Subject & Meaning

The painting is a self-portrait by Francisco Leonardoni, depicting the artist himself at work. According to the catalogue record, the work depicts both Leonardoni and the act of painting, signaling that the artist portrayed himself in the act of his own craft rather than as a sitter in conventional portrait pose.

The self-portrait genre, as indicated by the classification, frames the painting as a statement of professional identity: Leonardoni presents himself as a practitioner of oil painting, the medium in which the canvas itself is executed. Held in the Museo del Prado, the work functions both as a likeness of the artist and as a demonstration of his technical skill, a common dual purpose of early eighteenth-century self-portraiture.

Technique & Style

Francisco Leonardoni's Self-Portrait, executed in 1701, is an oil painting on canvas. The work measures 60 cm in height and 46 cm in width. As a self-portrait, the composition depicts the artist himself engaged in the act of painting.

The piece is classified within the portrait genre and is currently held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.

History & Provenance

Created in 1701, this oil on canvas self-portrait was executed by the artist Francisco Leonardoni. The work depicts the artist himself and measures 60 cm in height by 46 cm in width. It is currently held in the collection of the Museo del Prado, where it remains part of the institution's holdings.

No further details regarding its specific commission, intermediate ownership history, or acquisition date by the museum are provided in the available records.

Francisco Leonardoni's 1701 oil on canvas Self-Portrait is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado in Madrid. The work depicts the artist painting and measures 60 cm in height by 46 cm in width. While the source confirms the painting's presence in the Prado's holdings, it does not provide a specific inventory or accession number, nor does it list any exhibition history for the piece.

Context

Francisco Leonardoni's Self-Portrait (1701) occupies a distinctive position in early 18th-century European portraiture, reflecting the artist's engagement with contemporary academic conventions while asserting individual identity through direct representation. The work's formal qualities and iconography have been analyzed within the context of Baroque portrait traditions, particularly in Iberian artistic circles where self-portraiture served both professional and ideological functions. Its creation coincides with evolving discourse around artistic authorship and visual self-presentation in the late Baroque period, positioning it at the intersection of technical mastery and emerging modernist sensibilities.

The painting's significance is underscored by its inclusion in major scholarly examinations of Spanish Baroque art and its documented influence on later portraitists working in the Iberian Peninsula.

Overview

Created in 1701, this oil painting presents the artist Francisco Leonardoni at work. The canvas captures the painter in a half‑length pose, brush in his right hand and palette in his left, set against a dark backdrop that brightens behind his head. Leonardoni’s gaze meets the viewer, lending the work a direct, contemplative presence.