Self-Portrait 1656

Adriaen Hanneman painted this self-portrait on canvas, using oil paints and brushes. Look at the materials that Hanneman, a 17th-century Dutch painter, has chosen to depict himself. He wears a lustrous black cloak, and his hand emerges from a frilled white cuff. The paint is applied to mimic the texture of fabric, capturing the sheen of the cloak and the softness of the cuff. These textures speak to the artist's skill in rendering materials, and the wealth and status of his attire. There's a labor aspect here, too. Consider the intense work that was required to grind and mix the pigments, stretch and prime the canvas, and build the wooden support – let alone the manual dexterity required for painting. By focusing on these processes, we can better appreciate the way Hanneman controlled his materials to produce this memorable image.