Self-portrait

Gaulli's self-portrait of 1667 was painted when the artist was around thirty, already established in Rome following the patronage of Gian Lorenzo Bernini, who became his most important advocate. Self-portraiture among Baroque painters functioned as professional advertisement and artistic self-assertion. Gaulli's early self-portrait conveys the confidence of a young painter who had risen rapidly in Roman artistic circles through skill and the favour of the most powerful sculptor of the age.

The artist presents himself in three-quarter view, his expression composed and assured. The warm flesh tones and soft modelling of the face reflect the influence of Van Dyck, whom Gaulli greatly admired. The informal, almost sketch-like quality of the costume handling contrasts with the careful finish of the face — a prioritisation typical of self-portraits intended for artistic, rather than social, display.