Self-Portrait 1715 - 1725

John Vanderbank the Younger created this self-portrait with pen and brown ink in England, sometime in the first half of the 18th century. It’s a study in the artistic self-fashioning that was becoming increasingly important to artists at the time. Vanderbank presents himself with flowing locks in a casual pose, as if interrupted mid-conversation. This carefully constructed image speaks to a desire to elevate the status of the artist, moving away from the idea of the artisan as a mere craftsman and instead embracing a more intellectual and refined identity. The establishment of art academies in Europe, including Vanderbank's own St. Martin's Lane Academy, played a vital role in shaping this new perception of the artist. Through archival research and the study of period literature, we can unpack the complex interplay of social aspirations and institutional structures that defined artistic life in 18th-century England. The meaning of the art is contingent on social and institutional context.