Artwork Page for Self-Portrait

Details / Information for Self-Portrait

Self-Portrait

c. 1872–74

Armand Guillaumin

(French, 1841–1927)
Culture
France, 19th century
Medium
oil on canvas
Measurements
Unframed: 45.4 x 37.5 cm (17 7/8 x 14 3/4 in.)
Credit Line
Bequest of Noah L. Butkin 1980.266
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print
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Did You Know?

In 1891, Guillaumin won 100,000 francs in a state lottery, allowing him to quit his government transportation position and begin painting full time.

Description

The muted dark tones and somber gaze in this self-portrait convey the anxieties Armand Guillaumin was facing in the early 1870s. While working full-time for the French railway system, he devoted early and late hours and weekends to his artistic practice and endured rejection from the Salon, the official juried annual art exhibition in Paris. Guillaumin shared close friendships with Paul Cezanne, Camille Pissarro, and Vincent van Gogh (whose works are on view in this gallery) and participated in six of the eight Impressionist exhibitions. This self-portrait shows the artist on the verge of establishing his career.
A vertically oriented oil painting in thick brushstrokes depicts a man with light skin tone and a furrowed brow. He turns slightly to our right, looking at us with an intense gaze. He has thick, curly black hair and a dense beard. Wearing a dark, shadowed jacket, he emerges from a textured, dark gray background. Visible highlights on his forehead and nose define his pale face. A red signature marks the bottom right.

Self-Portrait

c. 1872–74

Armand Guillaumin

(French, 1841–1927)
France, 19th century

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