Portrait of Myself
1901
Medium
Drypoint with aquatint and plate tone, on ivory laid paper, tipped to one of the artist’s printed borders (a color proof printing of his softground and aquatint frame design titled Grecian Key and Fly)
Dimensions
Plate/sheet: 21.4 × 16.5 cm (8 7/16 × 6 1/2 in.); Secondary support: 34.6 × 28.5 cm (13 5/8 × 11 1/4 in.)
Classification
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
180877
Art Historical Context
Theodore Roussel’s “Portrait of Myself” (1901) offers an intimate glimpse into the artist’s world at the turn of the twentieth century. A British painter and printmaker closely associated with James McNeill Whistler, Roussel excelled in etching and tonal printmaking techniques that bridged Impressionist sensibilities with the precision of the graphic arts. Here, he presents his own likeness through the rich, velvety lines of drypoint combined with the subtle tonal washes of aquatint and plate tone, creating a softly atmospheric self-portrait that feels both personal and painterly. The print’s...
About the Artist
Theodore Roussel · 1847–1926
Theodore Casimir Roussel was born on 23 March 1847 in Lorient, Brittany, France, into a naval family. After serving in the Franco-Prussian War, he began painting in 1872 as an entirely self-taught artist, initially rendering scenes of daily life in the meticulous style of the Old Masters. In 1878, he settled permanently in London, where he immersed himself in the vibrant British art scene. There, ...