Who painted Self-portrait?

Self-portrait was painted by Mattia Preti in 1698.

Where can I see Self-portrait?

Self-portrait is held by Uffizi Gallery.

What movement is Self-portrait?

Self-portrait is associated with High Baroque Italian.

Artwork

Self-portrait

Mattia Preti , 1698

Self-portrait is an oil painting by the High Baroque Italian artist Mattia Preti. It dates from 1698 and is held in the collection of the Uffizi Gallery.

About this work

Overview

Mattia Preti’s self-portrait, executed in oil in 1698, is part of the Uffizi Gallery’s collection. The work presents the artist in his later years, rendered with a restrained palette and a subdued, darkened backdrop that emphasizes his solemn expression.

Subject & Meaning

The painting shows an older Preti, his long brown hair framing a serious, slightly mournful face. He is dressed in a red vest over a brown shirt, with a white cloth bound around his right wrist. The inclusion of a sword with an elaborate hilt and a book or box in his left hand suggests a contemplation of his dual identity as both a warrior of ideas and a learned man.

Technique & Style

Rendered in oil, the portrait employs chiaroscuro to model the figure against a dim background, the light entering from the left to highlight the face and the gleam of the sword’s hilt. The brushwork is tight around facial features, while the clothing and accessories are treated with broader, more fluid strokes, characteristic of Preti’s late Baroque manner.

History & Provenance

Created near the end of Preti’s life, the portrait entered the Uffizi’s holdings as part of the museum’s systematic acquisition of Tuscan and broader Italian Baroque works. Its presence in the gallery underscores the institution’s commitment to preserving self-representations of notable artists from the period.

Context

By the late seventeenth century, self-portraiture served both as a personal record and a statement of artistic status. Preti, known for his religious and historical canvases, uses this intimate image to assert his mature identity within the broader currents of Baroque art, where dramatic lighting and personal symbolism were prevalent.