À propos de l’œuvre
Autoportrait coiffé d'un béret, par Claude Monet
Claude Monet · Giverny · 1886 · W1078
Self-portrait wearing W1078 berethand painted reproduction
Claude Monet depicts himself at mid-body, wearing a black beret and wearing a dark blouse. His bearded face turns towards the viewer with a concentrated expression, in front of a light blue background brushed quickly. Painted in 1886, this oil self-portrait on canvas measures 56 × 46 cm, belongs to a private collection and corresponds to Wildenstein 1078.
Look at the work
The painter shows himself to be a worker, without decoration or workshop attribute
The bust occupies almost the entire width. The beret forms a black mass above the forehead, while the beard descends towards the dark knot of the collar. The shoulders are only indicated by wide gray and purple passages.
The face combines ocher, pink, brown and red, with light accents on the forehead and cheek. The blue and white background remains open around the silhouette and retains the trace of the brush.
Monet seeks neither the official pose nor the polite resemblance: he presents himself with the clothes, beard and gaze of a painter accustomed to outdoor work.
Composition, touch and light
What Monet builds behind the impression of snapshot
Three precise elements allow us to understand this composition and the essential difficulties of faithful reproduction.
A close and direct framing
The head and shoulders fill the format of 56 × 46 cm. This proximity makes the gaze the psychological center of the painting.
The beret as the summit of the composition
Its horizontal shape stabilizes the head and contrasts with the vertical beard, giving the silhouette a simple and strong structure.
A deliberately unfinished execution at the shoulders
Areas of canvas and preparation remain visible in the garment. They focus the definition on the face rather than on the blouse.
Reference image
Read this specific version
The unique high definition reference image has been converted into a true WebP of 2,377 × 3,000 px. It retains the detail of the face and the visible reserves of the blouse.
Maintain attentive gaze expression
Eyes, eyebrows and facial orientation should remain precise despite the general freedom of touch.
Preserve the clear reserves of the garment
They should not be filled in: these open passages belong to the specific state of the self-portrait.
Keep the blue background very free
His visible brushstrokes loosen the silhouette without producing a regular halo around the head.
Documented benchmarks
Three pieces of information specific to this work
The exhibition file Before the Water Lilies documents the Self-portrait wearing a beret, oil on canvas from 1886, 56 × 46 cm, private collection and catalog Wildenstein 1078.
One of Monet's very rare self-portraits
The painter devoted most of his work to landscape and rarely chose himself as a model, which gives W1078 a unique place.
Never sold during the artist's lifetime
The self-portrait remained with Monet then belonged throughout his life to his son Michel, before passing into a private collection.
The year of the big stay in Belle-Île
In 1886, Monet divided his time between Giverny and his painting campaigns, notably more than two months on the Breton coast.
Your reproduction
What the painter must preserve
Fidelity here depends on precise relationships between light, touch, depth and color temperature.
- The Wildenstein 1078 version
- The black beret
- Monet's direct gaze
- Shoulders left in open passages
Work sheet
| Title | Self-portrait wearing W1078 beret |
|---|---|
| Artist | Claude Monet (1840 -1926) |
| Date | 1886 |
| Original technique | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 56 × 46 cm |
| Orientation | Vertical |
| Conservation | Private collection, Work rarely exhibited |
| Inventory | Wildenstein 1078 |
| Your reproduction | Handmade oil painting on canvas |
Presentation in your interior
A palette designed with the room
This vertical self-portrait is suitable for a bookcase, office or entrance. A blue gray, warm brown or ivory wall and a matte black frame emphasize its presence.
