Artwork
Self-Portrait
Self-Portrait is an oil painting by the Baroque artist Nicolas de Largillière. It dates from 1707 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:middle left, on plinth: N D Largillierre / peint par luy mesme 1707
About this work
Subject & Meaning
As a self-portrait, the painting functions both as a record of the artist's appearance and as a statement of his artistic authority within the French Academy.
The work is a self-portrait in which Nicolas de Largillière presents himself as the central figure, using the conventions of 18th-century portraiture to convey his status as a recognized painter. Executed in oil on canvas in 1707, the composition shows the artist in modest attire, emphasizing his professional identity rather than idealized allegory. As a self-portrait, the painting functions both as a record of the artist's appearance and as a statement of his artistic authority within the French Academy. Its creation for personal or professional display underscores the significance of self-representation in establishing reputation.
Technique & Style
Nicolas de Largillière executed his 1707 Self-Portrait in oil paint on a canvas support, which measures 92.7 by 73 centimetres. The painting's physical condition is not noted as compromised, having survived centuries of private ownership before entering the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where it was featured in the exhibition America Collects Eighteenth-Century French Painting.
History & Provenance
Nicolas de Largillière's Self-Portrait was painted in 1707. The work appears to have been a personal undertaking by the artist. Its earliest recorded ownership begins with Comte Alexandre-Marie de Boisgelin, who acquired the painting between 1860 and 1910 for his collections in Paris and the Château de Beaumont.
It remained within the Boisgelin family, passing by inheritance to his son Georges, and subsequently to his grandson Amaury, before reaching Amaury's widow, Claudie Février. After her death in 2003, the painting was sold at Christie's, Paris, in June 2004. Wildenstein & Co. acquired it shortly thereafter, and the National Gallery of Art purchased the work on 2 March 2006. Its exhibition history includes the show America Collects Eighteenth-Century French Painting.
Overview
Nicolas de Largillierre's Self-Portrait, an oil painting on canvas from 1707, features the artist himself. This work offers a direct encounter with Largillierre, who gazes steadily outward. Self-depictions were a common practice for artists, allowing them to explore their craft and present a curated image to the public.
Such portraits offer insight into an artist's professional identity and artistic capabilities, often serving as both a personal statement and a demonstration of skill.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Nicolas de Largillière (French:; baptised 10 October 1656 – 20 March 1746) was a French painter and draughtsman. From 1733 until 1735, he was director of the Académie de Peinture et de Sculpture.
Portrait of a Woman, Possibly Madame Claude Lambert de Thorigny (Marie Marguerite Bontemps, 1668–1701)
Elizabeth Throckmorton, Canoness of the Order of the Dames Augustines Anglaises
Portrait of Anne Louis Goislard de Montsabert, Comte de Richbourg-le-Toureil
André François Alloys de Theys d'Herculais (1692–1779)
Portrait of a Young Man and His Tutor
Portrait de Conrad Detlef, comte de Dehn
María Ana Victoria de Borbón y Farnesio
- The Engraver and Goldsmith Jacques Roettiers
Autoportrait
Portrait of Louis Tocqué
Portrait of the battle-painter Ignace-Jacques Parrocel
Portrait of a Sculptor
Portrait of Frederik Christian Krag (1726-1763)
Portrait of Grigory Teplov
Portrait of Frederik Christian Krag (1726-1763)
Jean Marc Nattier (1685–1766)
Self-Portrait
Omakuva
The Sculptor Nicolas Coustou in his Atelier