Self-Portrait 1787

Editor: So, this is Aert Schouman's Self-Portrait from 1787. It’s an oil painting currently residing in the Rijksmuseum. It has this simple but dignified quality about it; it's smaller than I imagined. What is your initial read on this piece? Curator: What immediately strikes me is the context of portraiture during this period. The late 18th century witnessed a surge in self-portraits, often commissioned or created to establish an artist's identity within the art world. Schouman, presenting himself so directly, is making a statement about his position, don't you think? Do you notice the specific choices in clothing or expression, and what that communicates about his intentions? Editor: I guess the simple coat could represent a humbleness, a working man of the arts? The Rococo period was heading to its end then, no? Curator: Exactly. Rococo was fading. This work signals a shift. While the oval format hints at the Rococo's fondness for the intimate and decorative, there is a distinct lack of ostentation here. Where would you place his work given art institutions and patronage models of the period? Editor: He's positioning himself apart from pure decoration and aiming for a kind of… serious recognition? It feels like he's using the self-portrait as a resumé almost. I wonder if other artists felt a similar pressure to self-promote in that era. Curator: Precisely. He's participating in constructing a public persona through this work. Institutions, exhibitions, and artist societies were growing, and self-representation became vital for professional advancement and leaving a mark on art history. It definitely was not as individualistic of an endeavour as the 19th and 20th century renditions! Editor: This has been illuminating. I wouldn’t have thought about the art world as a place needing a resume back then. Curator: Well, it’s easy to forget the socio-political backdrop to something as seemingly personal as a self-portrait. It helps reveal the structures at play within the art world itself.