Self-portrait

João Cristino da Silva’s 1854 self-portrait: a pivotal Romantic work showcasing individualism & intense emotion. Explore this unique piece's dark palette & expressive style.


joão cristino da silva (1829 - 1877)

Explore the evocative landscapes & turbulent life of João Cristino da Silva, a pioneering Portuguese Romantic painter. Discover his masterpiece ‘Five Artists in Sintra’.

Nacionalni muzej savremene umetnosti - Museu do Chiado (Lisabon, Portugal)

Istražite portugalsku umetnost od antičke do savremene u Nacionalnom muzeju savremene umetnosti - Museu do Chiado! Otkrijte remek-dela i uronite u bogato umetničko nasleđe Portugalije u zadivljujućem istorijskom okruženju.

This image by Cristino, one of the first self-portraits produced by the Romantic generation and a preparatory work for the group painting Cinco artistas em Sintra (Five Artists in Sintra), reveals an innovative approach towards the subject and to individual affirmation, characteristics of the new Romantic attitude. It is in the valorisation of the individual that Cristino, who, with his rebellious tendencies, the critics considered the most visionary and exalted of artists, found his direct connection with Romantic ideals. His elegant features underline the intensity of the look, the vigorous and resolute appearance, in contrast to the darkened backgrounds and bust that highlight a luminous and expressively detailed face. In this self-portrait, Cristino defines the parameters of a new identity, between individualism and egocentrism, idealism and the subject