Before his attention turned to themes of nature and rural work, Millet sought to establish himself as a portraitist in Cherbourg, a small city near his family’s home in Normandy. This work, made after several years of study in Paris when the artist was about twenty-six, is one of just two known painted self-portraits by Millet. Strong contrasts of light and shadow illuminate his face while giving a solemn feeling to the rest of the painting. His direct gaze shows Millet’s determination to pursue his chosen career. The intensity also suggests an influence of the Romantic painters he would have encountered in the French capital.

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