Self-portrait in the form of David with the head of Goliath

The painting shows a shirtless figure of a man with a naked torso, leaning his right elbow on an object and holding a mask in his left hand. The man is wearing a ram's cap and looks dreamy or pensive, as if in deep thought or looking into the distance. The ram's skin can be seen behind his back and the white clothes on him look like a costume. The overall expression of the painting is nostalgic or theatrical.

This description was created by artificial intelligence, please be indulgent.



Prevailing color of this fine art print is brown and its shape is portrait. This image is printed on demand - you can choose material, size and finishing.

Johann Zoffany (1733-1810) was a German Classicist painter working mainly in England. He studied in his native town of Frankfurt. At 17, he travelled to Rome and at 27, he went to England. At first, he worked as a watchmaker, but soon began to paint and was met with success. He was under the patronage of the royal family, among others, for his painting of the Gore family. In 1776, Empress Maria Theresa elevated him to a baron. Zoffany was a Freemason and a founding member of the new Royal Academy. In addition to painting statesmen, he also painted important actors and actresses of the time. Well-known is also his self-portrait in the form of David with the head of Goliath. He died at his home in England and is buried in St. Anne’s church cemetery. His works are still jewels of the National Gallery in London, the Tate Gallery and the Royal Collection.