Self-portrait

Corot is remembered for silvery landscapes and misty trees, so it is a small surprise to meet him face to face. He painted himself only twice, and this is one of the two, made around 1835 just after his second journey through Italy. He shows himself plainly, in a dark beret, holding the palette and brushes of his trade, with none of the flattery a commissioned portrait would carry. In these years he was still building his name at the Paris Salon, exhibiting Italian views while wider recognition came slowly. The small panel entered the Uffizi's collection of self-portraits, where painters were invited to hang among their peers.