Self-Portrait as a Young Man

Waldmüller does not present himself in a classic painter’s pose in front of a canvas, but in a casual manner, resting on his arm, fashionably attired with waistcoat, neckerchief and gloves in matching colors. The artist has complete confidence in his painting and in this self-portrait combines the three genres in which he was preeminent: portraiture, landscape, and flower painting. The peony in the foreground on the left alludes to the latter. All these components are unified by light, which appears natural despite the fact that he painted this portrait in the studio. Light gives the peony sculptural form, accentuates the face and right hand, illuminates his garments, before eventually fading to hues of blue in the background.

1828

Oil on canvas

95.0 x 75.0cm

2121

Image © Belvedere, Vienna, 2023