Self-Portrait

A celebrated artist, Amerling was the most distinguished portrait painter of the Viennese Biedermeier period and remained until his old age among the highly esteemed figures in the Metropolis.
He was probably the only Austrian artist of that period to paint so many self-portraits. 15 out of 27 portraits are in public collections.
This self-portrait dated 1834, showing the young man with his head turned to the left, almost filling the picture, is the first of five profiles. Here the 31-year-old artist, with his well-trimmed sideburns and serious, confident expression, is portrayed as an elegant young man. There are no artistic accessories.
The white stand-up collar and the casually knotted red scarf are effective colour accents, contrasting the dark velvet coat. As opposed to his usually idealised portraits of women, here, as in his other male portraits, Amerling’s effort to capture the personality becomes apparent. He continued to paint character studies of himself until his old age, to maintain his technique. This may explain why in this work (from his studio assets), the background is largely untreated, revealing the structure of the canvas.
Two years previously, Amerling had painted Emperor Francis I of Austria in his Coronation Robes. It was one of the most unusual 19th century portraits of a ruler, and as a successful commission, the basis for his fame.

OEHRING Erika: Amerling Friedrich von, Self-Portrait, in: DUCKE Astrid, HABERSATTER Thomas, OEHRING Erika: Masterworks. Residenzgalerie Salzburg. Salzburg 2015, p. 140