Artwork
Self-portrait with cigarette
Self-portrait with cigarette is an oil painting by the Realist artist Anselm Feuerbach. It dates from 1871 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
About this work
Overview
Anselm Feuerbach’s *Self‑portrait with cigarette* is an oil painting completed in 1871. Executed during the later phase of his career, the work presents the artist himself in a restrained, three‑dimensional manner. The canvas belongs to the collection of Vienna’s Kunsthistorisches Museum, where it is displayed among other 19th‑century European works.
Subject & Meaning
The portrait shows Feuerbach with dark hair, a solemn gaze, and a white shirt accented by a dark bow tie. He holds a lit cigarette, an unusual prop for a formal self‑portrait of the era, suggesting a personal, perhaps introspective moment that contrasts with his usual classical subjects.
Technique & Style
Feuerbach employs chiaroscuro to model the face and hands, allowing light to fall across the cheekbones and fingers while deeper shadows recede into the dark background. This handling of light and shade creates a subtle volumetric effect, aligning the piece with Realist concerns for truthful observation despite the artist’s neoclassical roots.
History & Provenance
Created shortly before Feuerbach’s death, the painting entered the Kunsthistorisches Museum’s holdings in the early 20th century, where it has remained in the public domain. Its acquisition reflects the museum’s effort to represent German Realism alongside its broader European collection.
Context
Although Feuerbach is chiefly associated with neoclassical history painting, this self‑portrait reveals his engagement with Realist tendencies emerging in the late 19th century. The inclusion of a cigarette—a modern, everyday object—signals a shift toward depicting contemporary life and personal identity within the traditionally formal genre of portraiture.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Anselm Feuerbach (12 September 1829 – 4 January 1880) was a German painter. He was the leading neoclassical painter of the German 19th-century school.
