Self portrait 1635

This is Guercino’s self portrait, painted in Italy sometime in the first half of the 17th century. We can see Guercino, palette in hand, gazing out at us from the depths of the canvas. But what kind of statement is Guercino making here? This was the era when the academies of art were being founded, where the status of the artist was being formalized into a profession, and where painting was understood to be an intellectual activity. Guercino presents himself as a gentleman, with long hair and a fine collar. Through the act of painting his own portrait, Guercino promotes a specific vision of the artist as an individual with a unique identity and set of skills. We can look to the archives of the Accademia di San Luca in Rome to explore these networks of patronage. By doing so, we can consider the social and institutional context that makes this image meaningful.