Wordless Wednesday: Philip Veit, Self-Portrait, 1816

Philip Veit
Philipp Veit [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

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Leenie Brown

Leenie Brown fell in love with Jane Austen's works when she first read Sense and Sensibility followed immediately by Pride and Prejudice in her early teens. As the second of five daughters and an avid reader, she has always loved to see where her imagination takes her and to play with and write about the characters she meets along the way. In 2013, these two loves collided when she stumbled upon the world of Jane Austen Fan Fiction. A year later, in 2014, she began writing her own Austen-inspired stories and began publishing them in 2015. Leenie lives in Nova Scotia, Canada with her two teenage boys and her very own Mr. Brown (a wonderful mix of all the best of Darcy, Bingley and Edmund with healthy dose of the teasing Mr. Tillney and just a dash of the scolding Mr. Knightley).

4 thoughts on “Wordless Wednesday: Philip Veit, Self-Portrait, 1816”

  1. What a magnificent portrait. In this case, the eyes truly have it! He seems to be looking at us and retreating at the same time. I had never heard of this particular artist before, but I will have to do my homework now, and remedy that. If he did other portraits, what he revealed would almost seem like witchcraft. Those eyes wouldn’t miss a thing, and he would be painting someone’s soul, not just their physical face. What a gift to be able to read someone so clearly, and then to have the talent to reveal it. This is nothing short of astounding. It must have been a blessing and a curse at the same time, for him and all concerned. When most artists undertook a vanity project like a self portrait, they painted a picture; this man painted himself as he was, and left nothing out. Such honesty and clarity is unusual. I am delighted to have discovered this artist. Thank you so much, Leenie.

    1. I just happened upon his self-portrait when cruising around the internet, and it captivated me. It really is quite remarkable. There was another of his paintings (I am attempting to attache it) that I saw and quite liked because of the detail and the emotion it seemed to contain. If this image does not appear, you should be able to click the link and be taken to it. The detail on the lace and the little wrinkles in the fabric of the drapes along with the look on the woman’s face are wonderful. Portrait of Freifrau von Bernus by Philip Veit, 1838, source: wikimedia commons

  2. That painting is astonishing in it’s attention to detail. The drapes themselves are a masterpiece, and her expression is so lovely and evocative. I would love to go to the museum where most of his works are displayed some day. I would never come out again!

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