Self-Portrait, Yawning

Joseph Ducreux, born in 1735, a portrait painter who captured both the likeness of the Austrian aristocracy and that of the French Jacobins on the silver screen. He painted Marie-Antoinette and later those responsible for their execution, Robespierre and St. Just.

In 1769 he was called to Vienna, painted the city's nobility, became a member of the Vienna Academy and retired to London at the outbreak of the French Revolution, where he remained unsuccessful. In 1793 he moved into an apartment in the Louvre in Paris and painted, among other personalities of the revolution. This original self portrait comes from the Viennese period. Perhaps it is an expression of the discomfort and boredom of the outdated aristocracy whose time was drawing to an end? The posture resembles a strained bow, also the arms, stretched out stretching, resemble the attitude when shooting a bow. The artist's expression is strained, his eyes more aggressive than tired. A mood that is still supported by the red skirt. However, the background of light and dark gray streaks or mists testifies to the yawning of melancholy and weariness. The painter portrays himself as a bored but powerful individualist who masters his art no matter what background. Aristocratic or revolutionary.

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Self-Portrait, Yawning by Joseph Ducreux
yawn · tired · pajamas · red jacket · 1800s · elderly man · chubby · sleeping cap · arms in air · belly