Self-Portrait (Lievens)

Self-Portrait is a c. 1629–1630 oil-on-panel painting by the Dutch artist Jan Lievens. The work is held in a private collection, but was exhibited in Washington, D.C., from 2008 to 2009, and worldwide with the Leiden Collection from 2017 and 2019.

Self-Portrait
ArtistJan Lievens
Yearc. 1629–1630
MediumOil on panel
MovementRealism
SubjectSelf-portrait
Dimensions42 cm × 37 cm (17 in × 15 in)
Weight44 kg (97 lb)
LocationPrivate collection

History

Jan Lievens completed the self-portrait around 1629 to 1630 in Leiden. The painting is held in a private collection.[1] It was first exhibited in 1957 at the Alfred Brod Gallery in London.[2] From October 2008 to January 2009, the painting was on display in an exhibition titled "Jan who?" at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.,[3] and from 2017 to 2019 it was on loan to the Leiden Collection as it toured the world in museum exhibitions.[2]

Description

The self-portrait depicts Lievens looking away from the viewer. He painted himself with long flowing hair and strong features. Light comes from the upper left to accentuate his cheekbone and show off his skin. He also painted the fine hair of his narrow mustache.[2]

Using dendrochronology, examinations of the painting and panel revealed that the self-portrait was painted on an oak panel that was from the same tree as Rembrandt's 1629–30 painting Samson and Delilah. X-radiographs of the self-portrait showed that Lievens made "transformative revisions to his appearance" in the portrait several times. He painted over a hat that was tilted on his head, and he changed the head to a tilting forward position. He also changed the hair in the painting, adding flowing locks on the left, possibly to emulate Flemish or English courtly hairstyles.[2]

Reception

Lievens's self-portrait was exhibited at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., in 2008 and 2009. In the exhibition brochure, titled "Jan Lievens: A Dutch Master Rediscovered", Arthur K. Wheelock Jr. describes the self-portrait as "handsome and assured", revealing Lievens's "ability to evoke the essence of a person through features alone".[4]

References
  1. Gurewitsch, Matthew (March 2009). "Jan Lievens: Out of Rembrandt's Shadow". Smithsonian Magazine. Archived from the original on 27 January 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  2. "Self-Portrait Jan Lievens". The Leiden Collection. The Leiden Collection. Archived from the original on 23 January 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  3. Landi, Ann (21 October 2008). "He's Restoring a Reputation Lost in Rembrandt's Shadow". Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 7 March 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  4. Wheelock, Arthur. "Jan Lievens: a Dutch master rediscovered". Academia. Academia. Archived from the original on 7 March 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
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