Self-Portrait (Camille Pissarro, par lui-meme)

The intimate Self-Portrait (Camille Pissarro, par lui-meme) was executed by Camille Pissarro in 1890. This significant example of a French Impressionist master turning to graphic arts is rendered using the exacting technique of etching on a zinc plate. Created firmly within the artistic period of 1876 to 1900, the work demonstrates Pissarro’s sustained interest in printmaking, which ran parallel to his groundbreaking developments in painting.

Pissarro depicts himself in three-quarter profile, gazing directly at the viewer with an expression of seasoned reflection. Unlike the vibrant color and loose brushwork characteristic of his famous oil canvases, this piece relies entirely on the precise, linear control inherent in etching. The artist utilized a dense network of finely scratched lines and sophisticated cross-hatching to establish the tonal values, capturing the texture of his heavy beard and the deep shadows under his signature wide-brimmed hat. This technical mastery allowed Pissarro to explore form and light through pure line, documenting his own image with stark clarity and offering a contrast to the softness typically associated with Impressionism.

As one of the foundational figures of French Impressionism, Pissarro often used the medium of prints to document his life and studies, offering a more private complement to his public exhibition works. Though executed relatively late in the period of 1876 to 1900, this self-portrait remains a vital record of the artist's appearance and graphic practice at the close of the century. The status of this etching as a masterful contribution to the history of fine art prints ensures its continued scholarly study. This work is preserved in the prestigious collection of the National Gallery of Art, making it accessible to researchers and available to the wider public domain.