Self Portrait 1839

This is a self-portrait by Ary Scheffer, who lived in the first half of the 19th century, made with watercolor on paper. The fluid quality of watercolor lends itself to portraiture, where the artist aims to capture a likeness, but also a fleeting sense of personality. Look closely, and you can see the artist's hand in the thin washes of color, and the crispness of the rendering. Watercolor became increasingly popular during this period, largely because improvements in manufacturing meant that both paper and pigments could be obtained more easily, and cheaply. This democratization allowed many more people to engage with art making than ever before. So, although this may look like a very traditional portrait, it is directly related to the rise of an industrialized society. It reminds us that artistic expression is always connected to the means of production.