Autorretrato (Self-Portrait)

Hermenegildo Bustos is regarded as one of the finest portrait painters of 19th century Mexico. At a time when Academicism was at its height and most painters were striving to include themselves in the academic circles of Mexico City, Bustos established himself as a masterful self-taught painter. Born in 1832 C.E. in the town of Purisima del Rincon, Bustos did not undergo formal training and also never left his hometown, yet he managed to make a name for himself as a renowned portraitist whose psychological and semiotic portraiture immersed audiences due to the skillful and technical precision it was executed with. His oeuvre comprises portraits of local villagers, merchants, families and priests. Much like his other works, Autorretrato or The Self-Portrait of Bustos is widely known as a masterpiece produced by him which captures a very uncanny ambiguity that exists on the faces of people, in this case, the subject being himself. This allows the work to maintain an emotional presence which further gets amplified due to the meticulous detailing almost emulating photographic realism. He presents himself against a neutral light Grey background while another darker toned Oval-shaped halo surrounds his figure. The composition is direct with no decorative elements hinting to an intentionally formulated confrontation between the viewer and the image. The visual firstly allows the audience to understand the predisposition of the middle aged man visible to them, then inviting the onlooker to read, understand, analyse and engage with the layered sentiments that unfold with contextual nuances that are unique to every viewer. The portraits also serve as a declaration of the distinct political and national identity of the people of Mexico in the 19th century.