Self Portrait 1851 - 1904

Franz von Lenbach created this self-portrait using oil on canvas, and it's currently held at the SMK in Copenhagen. The first thing that strikes you is the starkness of the monochromatic palette, a near absence of colour that throws the emphasis onto form and texture. The artist's profile is sharply delineated against a subtly modulated background, with light catching the bridge of his nose and the edge of his beard, pulling him forward. The composition reflects a tension between objective representation and subjective expression. Lenbach is not merely recording his likeness; instead, through a carefully controlled range of tones and meticulous brushwork, he conveys a particular persona. Consider the way the light glances across the surface, creating subtle gradations that both reveal and conceal. Lenbach's self-portrait is less about capturing a perfect likeness and more about exploring the complexities of identity and representation. The unfinished quality is a statement reflecting the fluidity of meaning.