Self-Portrait with the bull's-eye - Maurice Quentin de La Tour

A masterful eighteenth-century pastel self-portrait by Maurice Quentin de La Tour, capturing the artist with a characteristic, knowing smile.

Maurice Quentin de La Tour was a master of the pastel medium, a technique he elevated to unprecedented heights during the eighteenth century. This self-portrait, often referred to as the 'Self-Portrait with the bull's-eye' (Autoportrait au lorgnon), captures the artist in a moment of informal engagement. He leans forward, his expression marked by a knowing, slightly mischievous smile that suggests a direct connection with the viewer. The composition is framed by a circular element, a device that adds a sense of immediacy to the work.

La Tour utilised the soft, powdery nature of pastel to achieve remarkable textures, from the fine details of his cap to the subtle gradations of light across his face. His ability to render the psychological state of his subjects was his primary strength, and here he turns that analytical gaze upon himself. The palette is restrained, relying on earthy tones and soft transitions to model the form. The artist's hand is visible in the gestural quality of the lines, which define the contours of his jacket and the structure of his features without resorting to rigid outlines.

This work belongs to a period when La Tour was establishing his reputation in Paris as the premier portraitist of the French elite. Unlike the formal, stiff poses common in oil portraiture of the era, this pastel displays a relaxed, almost conversational quality. The artist presents himself not as a distant figure of authority, but as a man of intellect and observation. The technical precision required to maintain the freshness of the pastel over such a surface is indicative of his skill. By focusing on the interplay of light and shadow, La Tour creates a sense of volume that brings the figure forward from the background, making the portrait feel present and alive.