Self-Portrait

Francesco de Mura · c. 1740

Francesco de Mura presents himself as a man of great elegance and high social standing. He is sumptuously dressed and surrounded by trappings of wealth and grandeur (billowing drapery, monumental column, marble-topped gilt table). His drawing tools are prominently displayed. Traditionally, the medium of drawing reveals the intellectual quality and inventiveness of an artist’s ideas. The red chalk drawing in de Mura’s hand—depicting the Roman goddess Minerva, protector of the arts—displays his knowledge of the classical world, confirming his portrayal of himself as an educated gentleman.