Artwork
Self-portrait with cigar
Self-portrait with cigar is an oil painting by the Fauvist artist Rik Wouters. It dates from 1913 and is held in the collection of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp.
About this work
Overview
Rik Wouters painted Self‑portrait with Cigar in 1913, employing oil on canvas. The work is housed in the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp and presents the artist himself, dressed in a dark coat and hat, holding a cigar and offering a slightly amused expression.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on the artist’s face and attire, emphasizing his personal presence rather than narrative content. The muted seriousness softened by a faint smile suggests an introspective yet confident self‑representation, aligning with Wouters’ interest in portraying warmth and tenderness in his subjects.
Technique & Style
Wouters applies thick, visible brushstrokes that create a textured, impasto surface, particularly on the figure’s clothing and facial features. The background is rendered in loose, colorful patches of red, blue, and yellow, reflecting the vivid, non‑naturalistic palette characteristic of Fauvism.
History & Provenance
Created only three years before Wouters’ premature death at age thirty‑four, the painting is part of a relatively small oeuvre of roughly two hundred works. It entered the collection of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp, where it remains on display as a representative example of his late style.
Context
Wouters’ work is often discussed alongside that of Henri Matisse and Paul Cézanne, artists who similarly explored bold color and expressive brushwork. His self‑portrait demonstrates the influence of these contemporaries while maintaining a distinct personal approach to form and atmosphere.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Hendrik Emil (Rik) Wouters (21 August 1882 – 11 July 1916) was a Belgian painter, sculptor and draughtsman.
