Selbstbildnis
Francisco Goya·c. 1787
Historical Context
This self-portrait from around 1787, now in the Belvedere in Vienna, shows Goya in his early forties during the period of his greatest social and professional ascent. Having secured appointment as painter to the king in 1786, Goya was transforming himself from a provincial Aragonese artist into Spain's most sought-after portraitist. The painting's relatively small scale and informal presentation suggest a personal work rather than a commissioned piece. The self-confident expression and fashionable attire project the image of a successful court artist. The portrait's presence in Vienna reflects the widespread European dispersal of Goya's works through the nineteenth-century art market.
Technical Analysis
Goya renders himself with characteristic directness and warm handling, using the self-portrait format to demonstrate both his technical command and his honest approach to human characterization.
Look Closer
- ◆Notice the self-confident expression of a successful artist at his peak: at around forty, Goya was transforming from provincial craftsman to Spain's most sought-after painter, and the self-portrait records that confidence.
- ◆Look at the fashionable attire: Goya presents himself as a prosperous, stylish professional — the image of an artist who has arrived socially as well as artistically.
- ◆Observe the warm, direct handling: this self-portrait uses the same frank observation Goya brought to all his subjects, applying his characteristic honesty to his own face.
- ◆Find the Austrian context: this Belvedere portrait's presence in Vienna reflects the nineteenth-century dispersal of Goya's works through the European art market.
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