Zelfportret

About this artwork

hoogte 198 mm x breedte 153 mm

Art Historical Context

Cornelis van den Berg’s "Zelfportret" from 1754 presents an intimate self-portrait rendered with brush on a modest sheet of paper. Measuring just 198 by 153 millimeters, the work’s small scale suggests it may have served as a personal study or a private keepsake rather than a formal commission. The choice of medium allows for fluid, expressive lines that capture the artist’s features with economy and sensitivity. In the mid-eighteenth century, self-portraiture was becoming an increasingly popular vehicle for artists to explore identity and skill. Van den Berg’s brushwork reflects the period’s interest in direct, unmediated observation, inviting viewers to consider both the likeness and the hand that created it. The compact format further emphasizes a sense of immediacy, as though the artist turned the brush toward himself in a quiet moment of reflection. Today the drawing offers modern audiences a rare, close-up encounter with an eighteenth-century Dutch artist’s self-image, reminding us how even the smallest works can convey lasting personal and cultural significance.