Self-Portrait (Salvator Rosa)

Salvator Rosa, the Neapolitan painter, printmaker, and poet, was celebrated in his own time as much for his rebellious spirit as for his art. This self-portrait, painted around 1647, presents the artist in a moment of intense self-scrutiny. His dark eyes meet the viewer with a bold, almost confrontational directness, while the loose brushwork and dramatic chiaroscuro reflect the painterly bravura of the Roman Baroque. Rosa cultivated an image of artistic independence, and this unflinching self-representation—free of allegorical costume or studio props—embodies that persona. The painting resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.