Self-Portrait
Medium
Pen and black ink, with brush and gray wash, on ivory wove paper
Dimensions
25.2 × 19.4 cm (9 15/16 × 7 11/16 in.)
Classification
pen and ink drawings
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
82669
Art Historical Context
This intriguing self-portrait, created by an imitator of Sir William Beechey, captures the spirit of late 18th- and early 19th-century British portraiture. Beechey himself was a celebrated court painter known for his elegant depictions of royalty and aristocracy, and this work reflects his influence through its poised and refined draftsmanship. Though the date remains unknown, the drawing offers a window into how artists of the period studied and emulated established masters. Executed in pen and black ink with gray wash on ivory wove paper, the piece demonstrates the expressive potential of t...