Artwork
Self-portrait of Augusto Bastianini

Self-portrait of Augusto Bastianini is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Augusto Bastianini. It dates from 1900 and is held in the collection of the Uffizi Gallery.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1900, this oil painting is a self-portrait by the Italian painter Augusto Bastianini. The work shows the artist at work, positioned before an easel within a modest studio setting. It is part of the collection of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, where it remains on display as an example of early twentieth‑century portraiture.
Subject & Meaning
The canvas presents Bastianini himself, dressed in a black suit, white shirt and dark tie, his short curly hair framing a focused expression. He holds a paintbrush in his right hand while his left rests on a table draped with a red‑gold cloth, suggesting the act of painting and emphasizing the identity of the creator as both subject and maker.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil on canvas, the portrait employs a restrained palette of muted tones contrasted with the vivid red‑gold of the tablecloth. Bastianzi's handling of light creates a subtle gradation that models the figure and suggests depth, while the background wall and large frame are rendered with minimal detail, focusing attention on the artist’s presence.
History & Provenance
The painting was completed in the same year it was first exhibited, and subsequently entered the holdings of the Uffizi Gallery. Its accession to the museum’s collection reflects the institution’s interest in documenting contemporary Italian artists of the turn of the century, preserving a personal visual record of Bastianzi’s own image.
Artist & collection











