Hans Thoma
Self Portrait at the Age of 80
Hans Thoma
German, 1839 - 1924 (Bernau / Karlsruhe)
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The Benezit Dictionary of Artists describes Hans Thoma as " one of the most original artists in the German school of the second half of the 19th Century." A miller's son, the artist was born in Bernau in the black forest, and first studied to become a clock painter. But his artistic talents were noticed by the Grand Duke of Baden, who paid for his schooling as an artist, and Thoma eventually went on to study in Dueseldorf and later Paris, where he studied with Courbet. In Munich he became associated with the circle of Leibl and Arnold Boecklin. He is often associated with the symbolist movement, but his love of beautiful detail and the simple life of the people have also led to comparisons with the Pre-Raphaelites, who were working in England during the same period.
In addition to the landscapes for which he became famous, Hans Thoma executed a portrait of himself for his birthday each decade which was issued as an engraving. These striking self-portaits poignantly express the inner life of the aging artist through the years of his long life.
This portrait executed in 1919 has a weary sadness about the eyes, as though the artist, having witnessed the long world war, he feels all the weight of the human tragedy. (WWI had not yet come to an end when this was drawn - the artists' birthday was October 2- the armistice was finally reached in November) The artist has chosen to depict himself against the backdrop of his beloved black forest, the subject of many of his early landscapes. A bird on a branch sings in the background, a symbol of hope perhaps, or a hint at the echoes of the artist's lost youth.
Condition: The outer margins of the sheet have tone from age. Center of image clean.
The engraving is not framed
Dimensions: Full Sheet - 18 X 13.5 inches
Engraving Size (platemark): 7.5 X 6.25 inches
The San Francisco Museum of Fine Art has a similar self-portrait at the age of 80 in its collection.
For more information about the artist see:
More Works by Hans Thoma
More Portraits
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