This self-portrait, featuring the artist wearing his characteristic fez, is regarded as his masterpiece in printmaking and holds a significant place in the history of this medium in Switzerland. In this work, Liotard skillfully explores chiaroscuro, using roulette and engraving techniques to accentuate contours and deepen shadows, resulting in a striking three-dimensional effect. This exceptional and luminous impression is a very rare print, classified as an undocumented pre-first state working proof, notable for its deep black areas caused by unfinished burnishing. Formerly part of the collection of Henri-Albert Gosse (1753-1816) in Geneva since the 18th century, it may be the oldest known impression of this fine work.

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  Jean-Etienne Liotard (1702 — 1789)

  The Great Self-Portrait, 1778 – 1780 Mechanical pencil, roulette and burin on handmade paper, 482 x 399 mm