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| | Old Master Paintings & Drawings IV |
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| Self-Portrait of an Artist Oil on canvas 45 3/4 x 35 inches (116.2 x 89 cm) | |
In this intriguing painting, the artist presents himself as a master of the art of painting, momentarily pausing from his task of depicting a Portrait of a Lady seen at the easel, while he holds the tools of his trade and looks out placidly at the viewer. The artist shows himself grasping a palette, a mixing cup, several brushes of varying sizes, and a mahlstick. The subject of a painting within a painting, a woman wearing a satin-bowed bonnet, likewise gazes at the viewer, the two creating an illusory pair existing in the world of artifice. The author of the self-portrait has so far eluded identification although it is evident that he was one of the many artists in the wake of David working in the neo-classical vein. The painting was formerly attributed to Baron Gerard and was said to be a portrait of the English artist, Richard Parkes Bonnington. | ||