Artwork Page for Self-Portrait at Easel

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Self-Portrait at Easel

1897

Hippolyte Petitjean

(French, 1854–1929)
Culture
France
Medium
conté crayon with charcoal on laid paper
Support
Laid paper
Watermarks
ED & Cie. / PL BAS
Measurements
Sheet: 62 x 47.7 cm (24 7/16 x 18 3/4 in.)
Credit Line
Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund 2021.6
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
Not on view
Print
?

Did You Know?

Hippolyte Petitjean met the artist Georges Seurat in 1884, and the two worked closely on a distinctive style of drawing using waxy black conté crayon.

Description

In this self-portrait, Hippolyte Petitjean depicted himself standing before an easel while gazing directly at the viewer. The drawing is one of five representations of himself that the artist created late in his career based on his admiration for Rembrandt van Rijn. Petitjean was deeply influenced by the anarchist writer Charles-Albert, who argued for the utopian potential of artmaking, suggesting that the work was meant as a broader statement about the place of the artist within contemporary society.
A vertically oriented conté crayon and charcoal drawing depicts a man with light skin, light hair, and a full beard standing beside an easel. Facing forward with his body angled right, he rests his right hand on his hip and touches the easel with his left. Dense vertical strokes define his dark garments and the background, while light highlights his forehead and the easel's edge. A monogram and date 1897 appear at the upper left.

Self-Portrait at Easel

1897

Hippolyte Petitjean

(French, 1854–1929)
France

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