Self-Portrait

Kneller's Self-Portrait from around 1680 comes from the period when he was consolidating his position as the leading portrait painter in England. Self-portraits were important professional declarations for court painters, establishing their artistic identity and demonstrating their abilities outside the constraints of commissioned likeness. Kneller produced several self-portraits across his long career, and this early example shows him at the peak of his physical powers.

Kneller presents himself in the informal, confident manner typical of artists' self-portraits — relaxed in dress and direct in gaze. His brushwork is characteristically assured, and he likely includes palette or brush to identify himself as a painter. The face shows the direct modeling he brought to his most attentive portrait work.