Self Portrait 1871

This bronze self-portrait medallion by François-Joseph-Hubert Ponscarme captures the artist in profile, his gaze inward, framed by a dense beard and curly hair. Consider the profile portrait itself. From ancient coins to Renaissance medals, this form has always evoked the classical world, communicating notions of leadership and intellect. Here, Ponscarme consciously places himself within this tradition, aligning his identity with the intellectual and ruling elite of the past. We observe the beard, a symbol, since antiquity, of wisdom and virility, donned by Greek philosophers and Roman emperors. Yet, it resurfaces in 19th-century portraiture as a marker of the bourgeois, connecting the sitter to the values ​​of erudition and respectability. This is no mere likeness but a calculated construction, revealing how we, as humans, strive to anchor ourselves within a historical narrative. As you look at Ponscarme, you are peering into the depths of cultural memory.