Self-Portrait with Spectacles - Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin

A candid 1771 pastel self-portrait by Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin, depicting the artist in his later years with his signature spectacles and nightcap.

Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin produced this self-portrait in 1771, during the final decade of his life. By this period, the artist had turned increasingly to pastel, a medium that allowed for a softer, more immediate application of colour. The work captures the artist in his later years, wearing a white nightcap tied with a blue ribbon and a patterned neckerchief. His spectacles are perched on his nose, adding a sense of domestic intimacy to the composition.

Chardin is often associated with still-life painting and genre scenes, yet his late portraits demonstrate a mastery of human character. The application of pastel creates a textured surface, where individual strokes remain visible to the viewer. The lighting is focused, illuminating the contours of his face while the background remains in shadow. This approach directs attention to the artist's steady gaze and the subtle variations in skin tone, rendered with a palette of soft pinks, ochres, and greys.

Unlike the formal, highly polished portraits common in the eighteenth century, this image presents a candid view of the artist at work. It avoids the artifice of grand portraiture, opting instead for a direct observation of the self. The choice of attire, specifically the informal cap and scarf, suggests a private moment in the studio. This print captures the tactile quality of the original pastel, preserving the delicate layering of pigment that defines Chardin's late style. It offers a view into the personal world of one of the most respected painters of the French Enlightenment.