Self-portrait

Executed in oil, the portrait employs a restrained palette of dark tones contrasted with the gleam of a gold necklace and headpiece, reflecting Duclos’s interest in chiaroscuro. The handling of light and shadow creates a modest three‑dimensionality, while the brushwork remains precise, characteristic of her reputation as a skilled copyist of old masters.

Irene Parenti Duclos was active during the Rococo period, noted for reviving encaustic techniques and for her adept reproductions of earlier artworks. After its creation, the portrait entered the Uffizi’s holdings, where it remains accessible to scholars and visitors as a documented example of a woman artist’s self‑representation in the late 1700s.

The portrait emerges at a time when few women achieved public recognition as painters. Duclos’s dual career as poet and painter, together with her expertise in copying masterworks, placed her within a network of artistic practice that bridged traditional academic training and emerging personal expression.