James Tissot - Self Portrait

 submitted by Catherine Welter

 

Self Portrait – 1865

James Tissot (1836-1902)

 

 

            In 1865, James Tissot, age 29, painted his Self Portrait in oil on panel. His choice of muted autumnal tones, tightly cropped close up of head and shoulders, casual pose and direct look create a feeling of intimacy and curiosity about who this man really is. His artistic answer is purposefully ambiguous. He presents himself as a young fin de siècle sophisticate, looking directly out of the canvas with a gaze that is, by turns, knowing, intimate, world weary, and even seductive. The viewer is invited to look at this fascinating face, and then look again. How did Tissot create such a mesmerizing portrait? 

             He begins by immediately drawing the visitor’s eye to the face outlined in bold black on the right. On the left it is framed and shadowed by the side of his hand and the ring finger across his brow and above the dark eyes, which look directly out of the painting. The viewer’s eye moves vertically from the deep blacks of the hair, eyes and mustache to the black undershirt. The white of the cuff, the whites of his eyes and the judicious use of white vertical brushstrokes in the background create a harmonious contrast to the sharply delineated face. The wispy impressionistic strokes of gray, white and green in the background are echoed in the textured brown, taupe, and red of the great coat.

            In terms of composition what Tissot has omitted is just as important as what he has included. This portrait has a casual snap shot quality, unusual for the time. He is not pictured with belongings, family or signifiers of his profession or wealth. Nor is it clear where he is. The background could be a curtain or a window. This is not a formal portrait.  He engages directly with the viewer and his gaze pulls us in. 

            Tissot was born in 1936 and was raised in the provincial city of Nantes. At age 20 he began his studies at the École des Beaux Arts in Paris and, by age 23, first exhibited his work at the Paris Salon. When he painted his self- portrait at age 29, he had already enjoyed a great degree of success and recognition. This can perhaps be seen in the humorous, world-weary expression and confident gaze. Tissot had lasting friendships with Whistler and Degas but did not imitate their styles. He began his career with historical paintings and eventually turned to scenes of society and domestic life. His Self Portrait was executed during this transitional period.  He was enormously popular in his lifetime, in both England and France.  

            Ultimately, in Self Portrait, Tissot chooses to both reveal and hide himself. The eyes look out, the pose is casual, but he gives us no clue as to where he is or his place in society and he shields part of his face with his hand. He looks out, almost from behind the hand, hidden from the viewer, yet gazing outward. Who is this man and why is so endlessly fascinating?  Where is he? Is the background a curtain or a window?  Is there a suggestion of a rain slicked evening street beyond the vertical streaks of white, green and red?  Tissot does not answer our questions but invites us to speculate…to look and look again, as I do each time I visit this amazing painting.