Self-Portrait

Giambologna

c. 1600

gypsum, slate (rock)

Rijksmuseum

A gypsum relief bust of a man with a beard and ruffled collar is mounted on a dark slate background. Around 1600 Giambologna was considered the most famous sculptor active in Europe. The detailing of this polychromed plaster statue closely resembles that of his bronze self-portrait displayed nearby. Both versions would have been made from the same wax model.