Self-portrait

Giaquinto's self-portrait, painted around 1750 when the artist was at the height of his fame working as First Painter to the Spanish court, documents a major figure in European Rococo decorative painting. After years in Madrid transforming the royal apartments of the Buen Retiro Palace with his luminous ceiling frescoes, Giaquinto was among the most internationally celebrated Italian painters of his generation. The self-portrait records his confident self-image at this peak of his career.

Giaquinto presents himself with the direct gaze and poised assurance of an artist at the summit of his reputation. His warm, light palette — characteristic of his decorative work — is evident in the flesh tones and costume. The handling is fluid and elegant, without the laboured finish of academic portraiture.