Manuel Barthold, Self-portrait With Dedication Circa 1900

The world around the 1900s was in full swing, in full acceleration. The extraordinary career of Manuel Barthold (1874-1947) is a perfect illustration of this. Born near Moscow, to American parents, he initially trained in New York, then came to Paris, France to complete his training at the École des Beaux-Arts under the guidance of Cormon, Laurence and Benjamin Constant. He settled in Paris, took on students, exhibited in Europe, and already in Montevideo in 1912. He was naturalized French and received the Legion of Honor. Awarded in New York, gold medal at the Salon in Paris, he finally settled in Montevideo, Uruguay in 1925. He seems, judging by the Spanish dedication of our self-portrait, to have already been close to Latin American artists very early on. He then painted the intelligentsia and the high society of his new home port. The self-portrait we present must have been made around 1900, a little before the date of the thoughtful dedication to his student and friend, because he wears the faluche and the ascot, symbol of the young rapin. The smile, the open and joyful air of this young man, can only win sympathy. The touch is lively, frank, already virtuoso. It is also innovative. This artist today on the margins of the known classics, probably because of an unusual career, remains to be studied. He is represented in the major museums of Latin America, and of course in particular at the National Museum of Fine Arts in Montevideo. Dimensions: 41 cm x 33.5 cm