Self-portrait
Ca. 1885. Oil on canvas.Not on display
The figure of the painter appears against a semi-sketchy background, stained with evident brushstrokes, and with a certain framing in the manner of a backdrop. The painter appears half-length, slightly turned to the left and with his face turned towards the viewer or an imaginary mirror precipitating the apparent rigidity of a professional pose. He is bearded, well-dressed and clear in his intent to manifest his identity as an artist. He appears with the tools of his profession, wearing a painter´s smock and holding in his left hand a palette with clear impasto and six brushes. He avoids any specific reference to his painting, which is out of view, and which underlines his sole and simple aim of making a professional statement.
The State acquired the painting in 1901 from the painter´s brother, Salvador Franco Salinas, and gave it to the now defunct Museo de Arte Moderno.
Artistas pintados: retratos de pintores y escultores del siglo XIX en el Museo del Prado, Madrid, Ministerio de Educación y Cultura, Dirección General de Bellas Artes y Bienes Culturales, 1997, p.150
