Artwork
Self-portrait
Self-portrait is an oil painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist Peter Paul Rubens. It dates from 1638 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
About this work
This is a self-portrait by Rubens. He painted it around 1638 to 1639 in oil on canvas. It’s a formal court portrait but shows extra care in the face.
Rubens often painted powerful people. Here he gives his own face the same close attention. The small details make it feel unusually personal.
Check out the light and shadow technique called chiaroscuro next.
Overview
Created between 1638 and 1639, this oil on canvas self‑portrait by Peter Paul Rubens measures roughly 109.5 by 85 centimetres. The work is part of the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. Though rendered in the formal conventions of a courtly portrait, it stands out for the unusually meticulous rendering of the artist’s own facial features.
Subject & Meaning
Rubens presents himself in the guise of a dignified court figure, complete with the accoutrements of status—a sword, a glove, and a supporting column. By adopting these symbols, he aligns his own image with the powerful patrons he often depicted, while the heightened attention to his visage lends the piece a personal, introspective dimension beyond typical official portraiture.
Technique & Style
The painting employs the rich, layered brushwork characteristic of Rubens’ late style, with a careful modulation of light and shadow that enhances the three‑dimensionality of the face. The inclusion of courtly attributes follows the compositional formulas of aristocratic portraiture, yet the nuanced handling of skin tones and subtle facial expression reveals a deeper observational focus.
History & Provenance
After its completion, the self‑portrait entered the imperial collections that would later form the core of the Kunsthistorisches Museum. It has remained in Vienna since the museum’s foundation, providing scholars with a rare example of Rubens’ self‑representation at the end of his career.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Sir Peter Paul Rubens ( ROO-bənz; Dutch: ; 28 June 1577 – 30 May 1640) was a Flemish artist and diplomat.
