Self-Portrait as Zeuxis Portraying an Ugly Old Woman, Arent de Gelder
Arent de Gelder
Self-Portrait as Zeuxis Portraying an Ugly Old Woman
DE
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Arent de Gelder

Self-Portrait as Zeuxis Portraying an Ugly Old Woman, 1685


Dimensions
141.5 x 167.3 cm
Physical Description
Oil on canvas
Inventory Number
1015
Acquisition
Acquired in 1865
Status
Not on display

Texts

About the Work

Arent de Gelder turns away from his portrait of an unattractive but pretentiously decked-out old lady to flash a grin at the viewer. Here, he casts himself in the role of the antique painter Zeuxis. Legend has it that the latter died in a fit of laughter at the hideousness of his model! With his palette – reduced to shades of brown and orange – and coarse application of the paint, de Gelder was adhering to his teacher Rembrandt’s late style, which was no longer in fashion in 1685. A man of independent means, he could afford this critical comment on the contemporary ideal of beauty.

Audio

  • Basic information
    01:12
  • Focus on art history
    01:58

Work Data

Basic Information

Title
Self-Portrait as Zeuxis Portraying an Ugly Old Woman
Painter
Period Produced
School
Object Type
Physical Description
Oil on canvas
Material
Technique
Label at the Time of Manufacture
Signiert und datiert oben links: ADe Gelder, F, 1685 (AD ligiert)

Property and Acquisition

Institution
Administration
Collection
Creditline
Städel Museum, Frankfurt am Main
Picture Copyright
Public Domain
Acquisition
Acquired in 1865

Work Content

Motifs and References

Genre
Main Motif
Persons Shown
Associated Persons and Institutions
Associated Source
  • Marcus Verrius Flaccus: De verborum significatu (Zur Bedeutung der Wörter)

Iconclass

Primary
  • 48C513(+1) portrait, self-portrait of painter (+ artist at work)
  • 61B2(GELDER, Arent de)21(+54) historical person (GELDER, Arent de) - scene directly related with life or life-story (GELDER, Arent de) (+ three-quarter length portrait)
  • 31D14 adult man
  • 31A235 sitting figure
  • 31A247(+4) looking over the shoulder (+ three-quarter view)
  • 48B1241(+351) artist (in general) working from clothed model (+ painting)
  • 31D17 old woman
  • 31AA235 sitting figure - AA - female human figure
  • 48C514 picture, painting
Secondary
Associative

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Last update

29.03.2023