Artwork
Self-Portrait
Self-Portrait is an oil painting by the Biedermeier artist Leopold Loeffler. It dates from 1847 and is held in the collection of the National Museum in Kraków.
About this work
Overview
In 1847 Leopold Loeffler painted a self-portrait in oil, now part of the National Museum in Kraków’s collection. The work shows the artist standing before a dark backdrop, his body turned slightly to the right, presenting a restrained, realistic likeness.
Subject & Meaning
The portrait captures Loeffler as a middle‑aged man with brown, neatly curled hair, a small pointed beard, and a neutral expression. He gazes directly at the viewer, his right hand concealed in a pocket while his left hand holds a hat, suggesting a calm, self‑contained demeanor.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil on canvas, the painting employs a realist approach characteristic of the Biedermeier period. Precise brushwork renders the textures of the dark jacket, high‑collared white shirt, and subtle facial features, achieving a lifelike presence without overt dramatization.
History & Provenance
Leopold Loeffler, a Polish painter active during the late Romantic era and the partitions of Poland, created the work amid his involvement with national‑ist themes often reproduced in lithographs for Kraków and Warsaw circles. The self‑portrait entered the National Museum in Kraków’s holdings, where it remains displayed.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Leopold Loeffler, also spelled Löffler, (October 27, 1827 – February 6, 1898), was a Polish realist painter of the late Romantic period popular in the second half of the 19th century under the foreign partitions of Poland.
