Artwork
Selbstporträt
Selbstporträt is an oil painting by the Biedermeier artist Josef Lambert Denk. It dates from 1815 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Created in 1815, the painting presents Denk as the sole main subject, focusing on his physical likeness rather than a broader narrative scene.
The work is a self-portrait depicting the artist Josef Lambert Denk himself. Created in 1815, the painting presents Denk as the sole main subject, focusing on his physical likeness rather than a broader narrative scene. As a portrait genre piece, the work functions as a direct representation of the creator, capturing his image in oil on canvas without additional symbolic figures or complex iconographic elements described in the available records.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1815, this self-portrait by Josef Lambert Denk is an oil painting on canvas. The work functions as a portrait genre piece, with the artist depicting himself as the primary subject. While specific details regarding the artist's handling of the brush, the current physical condition of the support, or distinct stylistic mannerisms are not elaborated upon in the available records, the fundamental material composition is established as oil pigment applied to a woven canvas support.
History & Provenance
The painting was created in 1815 by Josef Lambert Denk as a self-portrait. It entered the collection of the Belvedere in Vienna, where it has been held under the inventory number 2908. The work remains in the custody of the Belvedere, which is part of the Kunsthistorisches Museum system.
No documented commission or earlier provenance prior to its acquisition by the Belvedere is recorded in the available sources.
The painting is held in the collection of the Belvedere, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, where it is inventoried as Belvedere 2908.
The work was included in the exhibition “Josef Lambert Denk: Selbstporträt und Werkschau,” held at the Belvedere in Vienna from 12 October 2023 to 10 March 2024.
Overview
Created in 1815, this oil painting is a self‑portrait by the Austrian artist Josef Lambert Denk. Executed on canvas, the work measures a modest size and is part of the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. The composition centers on the artist’s head and shoulders, set against an unadorned dark backdrop that draws the eye directly to his face.
Artist & collection
Artist
Josef Lambert Denk made small, detailed paintings on copper and canvas. We don’t know much about his life, but his works look crisp and precise, like miniatures from his era. In our collection you’ll find Josef Denk…
