Self-portrait 1885

"Self-portrait" (1885) by Émile Friant is a realistic depiction of the artist himself, seated at a table in a room with a window overlooking an urban cityscape. The painting, now housed in the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nancy, captures Friant in a contemplative moment, engrossed in reading a book. The composition and muted color palette, characteristic of the Realism movement, emphasize the everyday life of the artist, focusing on his solitude and the quiet intensity of his intellectual pursuits.