Self Portrait 1906

Self Portrait 1906 by John Singer Sargent is a painting of the artist that was not created for himself. He was not the type of artist to be self-reflective or be his own muse as a way of personal discovery.

So the Self Portrait 1906 was painted based on the ideas that others have of him but also helped to seal his authority as a portrait artist. In the late nineteenth century, Sargent was considered to be the leading portrait painter of his time. So this would explain why others would want to see a painting of the artist known for this type of work.

The materials used to paint Self Portrait 1906 are oil and canvas. This was his last self-portrait. In it, he is serious and subdued in his demeanour. The tones used in this painting are all muted which adds to the formality of the portrait. He is wearing formal clothing which also creates an air of distinction. He is also wearing a pin in this portrait in the form of a dab of red on the left. This represents his Legion d'honneur pin showing his international success.

The colours and tones also add an air of authority to Sargent. He is sitting upright and looking straight at the viewer of the Self Portrait 1906. Overall, this painting of the artist is very intimidating because of these elements used to create it. Sargent was born in Florence to American parents and spent a great deal of his life in Europe. It is interesting that he is considered to be one of the first Americans to be invited to created Self Portrait 1906 by the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy.

It was a project he was honoured to undertake since it would be part of a large collection of great artists and their self-portraits since the Renaissance period. The Self Portrait 1906 is still in the Uffizi Gallery and its dimensions are 27 1/2 x 20 7/8 inches (70 x 53 cm). Sargent studied with the French portraitist Carolus-Duran. He was a big influence in Sargent's life from 1874 t0 1878.