Self-Portrait 1810 - 1825

André-Jacques-Victor Orsel's "Self-Portrait" (1810-1825) is a charcoal drawing on paper that captures the artist's youthful visage. The work, currently housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, showcases the artist's skill in rendering the subtle nuances of form and light through the delicate lines of charcoal. The portrait, cropped just above the chest, emphasizes the subject's features, revealing a sense of introspection and quiet contemplation. Orsel, born in 1795, was a French painter and draftsman who explored a range of subjects, including portraits and landscapes, in his artistic career. The intimate scale and the use of charcoal drawing contribute to the quiet intensity of this self-portrait, highlighting the artist's introspective nature.