Artwork
Self-portrait (1918)
Self-portrait (1918) is an oil painting by the Realist artist Léon Bonnat. It dates from 1918 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
This painting shows a bald man with a white beard and mustache, wearing a dark suit and white collar.
This painting shows a bald man with a white beard and mustache, wearing a dark suit and white collar. His face is serious, with deep shadows under his cheekbones and around his eyes. The background is a plain, warm brown color that makes his features stand out.
The brushstrokes are loose, especially on his suit and beard, giving it a slightly rough texture. The artist signed the painting in the top right corner with the year 1918.
Next, look up chiaroscuro to see how this lighting technique works.
Technique & Style
The 1918 Self-portrait by Léon Bonnat is executed in oil paint on canvas, a conventional support for portraiture in his era. The work measures 81 cm in height and 64 cm in width, reflecting a standard portrait format. Brushwork emphasizes smooth modeling of facial features, while the muted palette and restrained lighting convey introspective gravity. These formal choices align with late‑19th‑century academic portrait conventions, underscoring both technical mastery and psychological depth.
History & Provenance
The painting entered the Museo del Prado in Madrid by 1971, when it was inventoried as part of the museum’s holdings. It is catalogued as an oil-on-canvas self-portrait dated 1918, measuring 81 cm in height and 64 cm in width. The work is attributed to Léon Bonnat and depicts the artist in self-representation.
No evidence in the cited sources indicates an earlier provenance or a specific commission; the Prado’s acquisition is the earliest documented stage in its ownership chain.
The 1918 oil-on-canvas Self-portrait by Léon Bonnat is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado in Madrid. The artwork measures 81 cm in height and 64 cm in width. While the painting is confirmed to be part of the Prado's holdings, the provided sources do not specify an inventory or accession number for the work. Additionally, no exhibition history is recorded in the available documentation.
Overview
Created in 1918, this oil on canvas is a self‑portrait by French artist Léon Bonnat. Executed in a realist manner, the work presents the painter as an older, bald figure with a white beard and mustache, dressed in a dark suit with a crisp white collar. The composition is set against a uniform, warm brown backdrop that isolates the sitter.
Subject & Meaning
The portrait captures Bonnat in a sober, introspective pose, his gaze directed outward with a seriousness underscored by deep shadows beneath the cheekbones and around the eyes. The stark contrast between the illuminated face and the subdued background suggests a contemplation of the artist’s own identity and professional stature at the close of his career.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Léon Joseph Florentin Bonnat (French pronunciation:; 20 June 1833 – 8 September 1922) was a French painter, Grand Officer of the Légion d'honneur, art collector and professor at the Ecole des Beaux Arts.
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