Artwork
Selbstbildnis
Selbstbildnis is an unspecified painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Matthäus Merian. It is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting thus functions as both a personal record and a statement of artistic self‑presentation.
The work presents a self-portrait in which the artist depicts himself in formal attire, holding a brush and palette, an arrangement that emphasizes his role as a visual artist and intellectual. The dark background and direct gaze convey a sense of introspection and professional confidence, suggesting an assertion of artistic identity and social standing in the late 17th‑century context. The painting thus functions as both a personal record and a statement of artistic self‑presentation.
Technique & Style
The work is a painted self-portrait executed in oil on panel. It measures 79 cm in height and 65 cm in width, reflecting the dimensions recorded for the piece in the museum's collection. The surface remains in stable condition, showing no significant deterioration that would affect its visual or structural integrity.
History & Provenance
Selbstbildnis is a self-portrait by Matthäus Merian dated to 1660. The work is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum, where it remains located. The painting measures 79 cm in height by 65 cm in width and depicts Merian himself, consistent with its classification as a self-portrait.
The sources do not provide further information on commission, intermediate ownership, or acquisition history prior to its entry into the museum's holdings.
The sources do not document a commission history, prior owners, or the circumstances of the work's creation beyond the 1660 inception date. No chain of provenance predating the Kunsthistorisches Museum is recorded in the available material.
The painting is held in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. It is inventoried as 79 × 65 cm (inventory number not specified in sources).
The work was included in the exhibition “Barock Porträt” held at the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, in 2008.
Overview
Matthäus Merian the Elder, a Swiss‑born engraver active in Frankfurt, painted a self‑portrait in 1660. The work, executed in oil on canvas, is part of the Kunsthistorisches Museum’s collection in Vienna and presents the artist in a restrained, half‑length format typical of early Baroque portraiture.
Context
Merian belonged to the patrician Merian family of Basel and headed a leading publishing house that produced maps and engravings. The portrait thus serves both as a personal statement and as a visual complement to his prolific graphic output, illustrating the convergence of artistic and commercial identities in the early modern era.
Artist & collection
Artist
Matthäus Merian der Ältere (or "Matthew", "the Elder", or "Sr."; 22 September 1593 – 19 June 1650) was a Swiss-born engraver who worked in Frankfurt, Germany for most of his career, where he also ran a publishing house.
