Self-Portrait 1890

This is a self-portrait by Henri-Charles Guérard, made with etching and aquatint. Here, we see the artist at work, surrounded by the tools of his craft—bottles, lenses, and a steady hand poised to create. Consider the significance of the magnifying glass. It's a tool of precision, essential for the etcher, but also a symbol. It speaks to the human desire to examine, to dissect, to understand the world in minute detail. We can see the magnifying glass represented in paintings throughout history. From the sciences, with the first microscopes that allowed us to see cells, to the arts, to represent the focus on detail and the objective and rational gaze. The act of focusing, of bringing something into clarity, is laden with meaning. It's a dance between the conscious and subconscious, the observed and the observer. Guérard captures not just his likeness, but also the intense concentration required to transform thought into tangible form. This image echoes through time, resurfacing in various contexts, each time laden with new layers of meaning.