Self-portrait

Franz von Lenbach was the pre-eminent portrait painter of Wilhelmine Germany, famous for his technically sophisticated dark-ground method borrowed from Old Master study and his ability to flatter aristocratic and intellectual sitters. This late self-portrait from 1900, now in Copenhagen, is unusually candid — the ageing Munich painter confronting his own face without the professional gloss he brought to commissions. He died the following year, making this one of his final self-examinations.

Lenbach's characteristic dark ground technique is evident: the face emerges from near-darkness with concentrated light on the forehead and cheeks. The handling shows his Old Master-influenced method — glazes and scumbles building the flesh tones over a dark underpaint, with summary treatment of the surrounding areas.