Self-Portrait, Aged 21

Édouard Vuillard, 1889

The head of a pale-skinned man nearly fills this shadowy, vertical portrait painting. His shoulders angle to our right, and his dark eyes cut back to look at us. Light from the top left corner highlights his light blond hair, and he has a full beard. He has a straight nose, and his high cheekbones and eye sockets are cast in deep shadow. A high white collar peeks over the lapels of a slate-blue jacket. The background is thinly painted, appearing almost scratched on in some areas, with black against a lighter ground. The brushstrokes are loose and visible throughout the painting. The artist signed the work in the lower right corner in rust-red paint, "E. Vuillard."
Artist
Édouard Vuillard
Date
1889
Type
Painting
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
22.2 × 17.4 cm
Collection
National Gallery of Art, Washington
Licence
Public domain, CC0

Image description

The head of a pale-skinned man nearly fills this shadowy, vertical portrait painting. His shoulders angle to our right, and his dark eyes cut back to look at us. Light from the top left corner highlights his light blond hair, and he has a full beard. He has a straight nose, and his high cheekbones and eye sockets are cast in deep shadow. A high white collar peeks over the lapels of a slate-blue jacket. The background is thinly painted, appearing almost scratched on in some areas, with black against a lighter ground. The brushstrokes are loose and visible throughout the painting. The artist signed the work in the lower right corner in rust-red paint, "E. Vuillard."

Édouard Vuillard