Self-portrait 1882

This is John Pettie's self-portrait. We don't know exactly when it was made, but we do know that Pettie lived and worked during the Victorian era. As a Scottish artist who made his career in London, Pettie navigated a complex social landscape, one where Scottish identity was often romanticized but also marginalized within the broader British context. His self-portrait is rendered in a shadowy realism, with the artist looking intensely at the viewer. What do you think he is thinking? This is a moment of self-definition and self-assertion. The portrait allows Pettie to control his own image, presenting himself as a serious and capable artist. Consider how Pettie uses the conventions of portraiture to situate himself within the art world of his time. What does it mean for an artist to represent themselves, and how does this act of self-representation reflect the social and cultural values of the period?