Self-portrait 1956

Rafael Zabaleta painted this self-portrait in oil on canvas, sometime before his death in 1960. In it, we see Zabaleta depicting himself as a bourgeois man. He wears a blazer and neatly pressed shirt. This choice is interesting if we consider the socio-political context in which he was painting. During his lifetime, Spain was under the dictatorship of Franco, and there were huge inequalities in wealth and power. What, then, are we to make of the artist's choice to represent himself as an educated, middle-class man? Is he challenging the status quo or simply seeking acceptance within it? To understand the context of this painting, it is worth delving into Zabaleta's personal history and the wider art scene in Spain during the Franco regime. By researching his life, letters, and the critical reception of his work, we can gain a deeper understanding of the artist's intentions and the social forces that shaped his artistic vision.