Self-Portrait
William Hogarth·1735
Historical Context
This 1735 self-portrait at the Yale Center for British Art shows Hogarth painting at his easel with his dog Trump. The informal, working self-portrait presents the artist as a craftsman rather than a gentleman-painter, reflecting Hogarth's democratic, anti-aristocratic values. Hogarth's oil technique combined firm linear clarity for his satirical figure groups with warm, painterly handling in the flesh tones of his portraits, demonstrating his equal mastery of the academic and the vernacular...
Technical Analysis
The composition places the artist's palette and canvas prominently, asserting the manual craft of painting. The pug dog adds a characteristically Hogarthian touch of humor and personality to the self-presentation.
