Self-portrait

About this work

This painting is a self-portrait of an artist, rendered in a realistic style. The subject is depicted from the chest up, wearing a dark jacket over a white collared shirt. He has dark hair and a mustache, and is shown in a three-quarter view, looking directly at the viewer. The background of the painting is dark and mottled, with visible brushstrokes that add texture to the overall image. The artist's signature and the date "1881" are visible in the bottom-left corner of the painting. The artist's use of chiaroscuro creates a sense of depth and dimensionality in the painting, drawing the viewer's eye to the subject's face. To learn more about this artist's technique, look up "chiaroscuro".