Self-Portrait (with Cows) 1796

Curator: Here we have Jean Jacques de Boissieu’s self-portrait, aptly titled “Self-Portrait (with Cows)." Editor: It’s moody, isn’t it? All these shades of gray, like a memory half-faded. Curator: It’s an etching, a print, which speaks to the artist's interest in making his work accessible beyond the elite circles. Editor: The cows are a detail within the work he is holding. It feels like he's showing off not just his face, but his entire artistic world. The bust, the drawing, it's all a carefully constructed identity. Curator: Self-representation in art was often a statement of position and intent. Boissieu is placing himself within a lineage of artistic and intellectual tradition. Editor: Maybe, or maybe he just really liked cows. Either way, it’s a glimpse into the artist's mind, or at least the version of himself he wanted us to see.