Self-portrait in a fur cap: bust 1758

Claude Henri Watelet created this self-portrait etching on paper sometime during his lifetime, between 1714 and 1789. As a member of the French aristocracy, Watelet occupied a unique position, engaging with art both as a creator and a collector. The self-portrait, with its intimate scale and understated style, reflects the cultural milieu of 18th-century France, a time of both aristocratic excess and intellectual ferment. Watelet presents himself in a fur cap, a choice of attire that speaks to both status and artistic identity. Fur was a luxury material, but also a sartorial signifier of the artist, who often defied strict dress codes. This portrait seems to both acknowledge and subvert social norms. The ambiguity in the artist’s gaze invites speculation about his emotional state and his relationship to his own image. This self-portrait, with its delicate lines and nuanced expression, invites us to consider the complexities of identity and representation in a society undergoing profound transformation.