Self-portrait in studio 

Franz von Stuck's "Self-portrait in Studio" captures the artist amidst the tools and theater of his craft. The work pulls us in with its sharp contrasts: the artist's formal attire against the backdrop of his studio, a space seemingly filled with classical and mythological motifs. Note how Stuck uses the structure within the painting. There is the canvas on the left with a female nude and the artist to the right, brush in hand, in the act of creation. The space is claustrophobic as if we the audience are also in the studio space. Stuck frames himself, almost presenting the artist as a creator of worlds and ideas. Here, the studio becomes a stage where Stuck explores not just artistic creation, but also the very essence of artistic identity and its connection to classical ideals. We are left to consider the artist's role, poised between tradition and innovation, caught within his own constructed world.