18th-Century Self-Portrait Paintings Reveal the Rarely Seen Silly Side of Rococo Portraiture
Painting himself was a way for the artist to experiment outside of the strict traditions of the time. Other self-portraits portray the artist caught in wide-eyed surprise and trying to be silent. 18th-century French artist Joseph Ducreux created playful self-portraits of himself in different poses and expressions. Joseph Ducreux, self-portrait entitled “The Surprise in Terror,” c. 1790s (Photo:Wikimedia Commons, Public domain) Joseph Ducreux, “Self-Portrait of the Artist in the Guise of a Mocker,” c....