Self-portrait wearing a soft cap: full face, head only 1805 - 1844

Ignace-Joseph de Claussin created this self-portrait wearing a soft cap using etching, sometime in the first half of the 19th century. The small etching provides a glimpse into the world of artistic identity and self-representation during a period of significant social and political change in Europe. Claussin, a French artist, likely made this self-portrait within the context of a rapidly evolving art world. The rise of Romanticism and individualism was in contrast to the academic tradition that still held sway in many official institutions. By creating and circulating his own image, he was participating in the construction of his own artistic persona. Was this an attempt to align himself with a particular artistic movement, or to assert his individual genius against the norms of the establishment? To truly understand this piece, one must delve into the archives of the art world of 19th-century France and study the prints and publications of the time. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.