Artwork
Selbstbildnis
Selbstbildnis is an oil painting by the French Classical Baroque artist Paul Mignard. It dates from 1673 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The canvas, measuring 59 by 49 centimetres, is held in the Bavarian State Painting Collections at the Alte Pinakothek.
Selbstbildnis is a self-portrait by the French painter Paul Mignard, executed in oil on canvas in 1673. As a self-portrait, the work depicts the artist himself, with the painting's main subject identified as Paul Mignard. The genre classification of self-portrait places the work within the tradition of artists turning the lens on their own likeness, a practice that in the seventeenth century often served to assert professional identity and artistic standing.
The canvas, measuring 59 by 49 centimetres, is held in the Bavarian State Painting Collections at the Alte Pinakothek. The painting's meaning centres on the artist's self-representation: by portraying himself as the sole subject, Mignard presents an image of his own persona intended for posterity and for the wider public sphere of the European Baroque art world.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil on canvas in 1673, the work measures 59 cm in height and 49 cm in width. The handling is consistent with seventeenth-century French portrait practice, employing fine, controlled brushwork to model facial features and costume with subtle transitions of light and shadow. The palette is restrained yet luminous, with delicate glazes used to articulate the face and a slightly broader handling for the drapery.
The composition centers on the artist’s head and shoulders, rendered with quiet dignity and direct gaze, typical of self-portrait conventions in the period.
History & Provenance
Paul Mignard created the oil-on-canvas self-portrait titled Selbstbildnis in 1673. The work depicts the artist himself and measures 59 cm in height by 49 cm in width. It is currently held within the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections, specifically located at the Alte Pinakothek. The painting is classified as a portrait within the genre of self-portraiture.
Overview
Paul Mignard's 1673 oil painting, Selbstbildnis, is a self-portrait characteristic of the French Classical Baroque style.
Artist & collection
Artist
Paul Mignard (27 December 1639, in Avignon – 15 October 1691, in Lyon) was a French painter and etcher. Born into an important artistic family with its origins in Troyes, he is known mainly as a portrait painter.
