The artwork, titled “Self-Portrait,” was created by John Singer Sargent in 1892. This oil on canvas piece belongs to the Realism art movement and measures 53.3 x 43.2 cm. As a self-portrait, it features the artist himself as the subject.
Examining this artwork, one is immediately struck by the exquisite attention to detail and the lifelike representation characteristic of Realism. The artist directs a steady, introspective gaze outward, capturing both his likeness and an essence of his persona. He is adorned in period attire, with a prominent beard and mustache lending gravity to his expression. The background, rendered in muted tones, serves to foreground the carefully modeled features of his face, illuminated with a skillful interplay of light and shadow. The strokes of the brush are both deliberate and fluid, underscoring Sargent’s mastery in the medium of oil on canvas.