Self-portrait 1801

Joseph Duplessis created this self-portrait in France, sometime around the late 18th century. It’s an image that speaks to the changing status of artists within the social fabric of that time. Duplessis was a portraitist to the French court, but here, he presents himself not in grand finery but in relatively simple attire. This reflects a growing sense of the artist as an individual of talent and intellect, rather than simply a craftsman employed by the wealthy. The informality hints at a shift in social values, a move away from rigid aristocratic display towards a more bourgeois sensibility. To understand this image fully, we can research the patronage system of the French Royal court, the founding of the French Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture and the philosophical ideas that were circulating at the time. These sources help us to see how Duplessis's self-portrait is not just a personal statement, but a reflection of broader cultural and institutional shifts.