Self-Portrait in a Redingote 1835

Théodore Chassériau painted this self-portrait in oil on canvas, sometime during his short career in 19th-century France. The image presents us with an elegant young man, fashionably dressed in a redingote, a style of coat that speaks to his bourgeois social standing. But there's more to consider than just the artist's stylish attire. Chassériau was a student of Ingres, and this painting reflects the influence of the French Academy, an institution that dictated artistic taste and training at the time. Yet, we also see the stirrings of Romanticism in the artist's brooding expression and the painting's moody atmosphere. The palette in the background is a clear reference to the artist’s studio, as is the book, likely a sketchbook, at the lower left. Understanding Chassériau's place within these competing institutional and cultural forces – the Academy versus Romanticism – helps us to see how artists of this period were negotiating their identities and artistic ambitions. A dive into the archives of the French Academy and the writings of Romantic artists could shed even more light on the context of this compelling self-portrait.