Self-Portrait 

This is an undated self-portrait by Frédéric Bazille, painted with oils on canvas. Bazille was part of a new generation of French artists, and he positions himself here as a modern man. This portrait shows a certain casualness of dress, a contrast to the formal portraiture of earlier generations, reflecting the changing social mores of mid-19th century France. Note the artist's gaze, both confident and self-aware, fitting with the rise of the individual in modern society. Bazille was independently wealthy and supported some of his fellow painters. He also exhibited at the Paris Salon – the official art exhibition of the Académie des Beaux-Arts. Here we see an artist both inside and outside the French art establishment. Understanding the context in which art is made and received – the social conditions, the institutional structures, the economic realities – is crucial to interpreting its meaning and significance. It requires archival research, an understanding of social history, and a critical approach to the institutions of art themselves.