Self-Portrait with a Spider in the Window 1758

This etching, *Self-Portrait with a Spider in the Window* (1758), by German artist Georg Friedrich Schmidt, captures the artist in his studio setting. The artist is shown seated at a table, his hands resting on a drawing, and his head tilted slightly toward the viewer, as if he has been interrupted in his work and is looking up. He is wearing a broad-brimmed hat and a plain shirt. Through a window to the right, we see a small landscape, a spider in its web, and a bottle on a shelf. The window is symbolic of the artist's view into the outside world. The etching was done in the *chiaroscuro* style, with strong contrasts between light and dark, highlighting the artist's face and hand. The inscription at the bottom states "Georg Friedrich Schmidt, Je ipse fecit aqua forti. Petropol 1758," meaning "He himself made it with strong water. Petersburg, 1758." This self-portrait is a fascinating glimpse into the life and work of a 18th-century artist.