The artwork “Self Portrait” by Jacques-Louis David, dating from around 1790, exemplifies the Neoclassical art movement. This oil on canvas painting measures 63 by 52 centimeters and belongs to the self-portrait genre. It is currently housed in the Pushkin Museum in Moscow, Russia.
The artwork presents the artist in a three-quarter profile, engaging directly with the viewer through his gaze. David renders his visage with a notable employment of chiaroscuro, using the contrasting elements of light and shadow to create a sense of depth and formality. His expression is composed and contemplative, possibly reflecting on the very act of painting or the broader historical context of the time. In line with Neoclassical aesthetics, there is an emphasis on the clarity of line and a subdued palette, which reinforces the dignified and timeless quality of the portrait.
Dressed in a red garment with a ruffled collar and a dark overcoat, David holds a painting tool, likely a paintbrush, delicately between his fingers, suggesting his relationship with the craft of painting. The overall simplicity of the composition, the unembellished background, and the solemnity of his attire are characteristic of the Neoclassical movement’s return to the simplicity and purity of the arts of ancient Greece and Rome, in contrast to the excesses of the preceding Rococo style.