Self-Portraitc. 1790s · Study 1961.334

Context from the museum

Lié Louis Périn painted many self-portraits, but rarely ever at full scale. The son of a cloth manufacturer from Rheims, Périn left the countryside for Paris to pursue a career in miniature painting. Although he enjoyed a fast-growing reputation as a miniaturist among Parisian aristocracy, a full-scale self-portrait provided an opportunity to display his skills unhampered by the demands of a commissioned picture or painting in a miniature format.

Museum description reproduced from its CC0 open-access record. Read the original catalog entry.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected unframed measurement for Self-Portrait is 53.2 cm wide and 64.4 cm high, equivalent to approximately 20.9 × 25.4 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.83:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.34 square meters; it describes the measured footprint, not the amount of paint or the monetary value.

On an illustrative 300 cm wall, the recorded width occupies 17.7% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 123.4 cm on each side before adding a frame. These are calculations by Physical Art For Crypto using museum measurements. They are not the museum’s display recommendations.

Questions to bring to your own collection

With Self-Portrait in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, oil on canvas, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this vertical composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 53.2 cm width still suit the space after allowing for furniture and a frame?
• What surface detail would you need to see in person or in a close photograph?