Self-Portrait in Profile is a small oil painting on canvas by the Italian Baroque painter Annibale Carracci (1560–1609) ^[1], created around 1590 and now held in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence ^[2][3]. The work is notable for its unusual format: the artist depicts himself in strict profile, a compositional choice that sets it apart from the more common three-quarter or frontal self-portraits of the period ^[3]. It forms part of the Uffizi's celebrated collection of artists' self-portraits, a group assembled over centuries that documents the likenesses of major European painters ^[3].

Provenance: the Medici acquisition and the Uffizi self-portrait collection

The painting entered the Medici collections through Leopoldo de' Medici, the cardinal and art collector who systematically assembled a remarkable series of artists' self-portraits during the 17th century ^[3]. By 1686, the work was recorded hanging alongside another portrait (inventory 1890, no. 1803) that was then thought to be a second Carracci self-portrait, though that attribution has since been questioned ^[3]. The painting is currently catalogued as inventory 1890, no. 1797 ^[3].

Date	Event
ca. 1590	Execution of the painting [2][3]
17th century	Acquired by Leopoldo de' Medici for the Uffizi self-portrait collection [3]
1686	Documented hanging beside another portrait then attributed to Carracci [3]
Present	Uffizi Gallery, Florence (inv. 1890, no. 1797) [2][3]

Format and composition: the profile view in self-portraiture

The profile format is the painting's most distinctive feature ^[3]. While self-portraits typically show the artist facing the viewer or turned at an angle, Carracci's choice of a strict side view suggests a deliberate engagement with classical precedents, such as antique coins and medallion portraits, which commonly used profile likenesses. The composition is compact, with the artist's head occupying much of the picture field, and the small scale of the canvas—45.4 × 37.9 cm—points to a private function rather than a public display ^[2]. The work is one of two self-portraits by Carracci held in the Uffizi collection ^[3].

Technique: oil on canvas in the late 16th century

Executed in oil on canvas, the painting reflects the standard medium for portable portraits in late 16th-century Italy ^[3]. The dating to around 1590 places the work in the period of Carracci's early maturity in Bologna, before his departure for Rome in 1595 to decorate the Farnese Gallery ^[1][2][3]. The handling of paint in this period is characterized by a naturalistic directness, a quality that would become central to Carracci's reform of Italian painting ^[1].

Iconography: the artist's likeness as a collectible object

The painting's function as part of Leopoldo de' Medici's self-portrait collection is central to its iconographic significance ^[3]. Such collections transformed the artist's likeness into a document of cultural history, preserving the features of painters whose works were already prized in princely galleries. The profile view, with its medallic quality, reinforces this documentary function, presenting Carracci's features with the clarity and permanence of a numismatic portrait ^[3].

Related works: self-portraiture in Carracci's oeuvre

The Uffizi holds a second self-portrait by Carracci (inv. 1890, no. 1803), which was displayed alongside the present work as early as 1686 ^[3]. The pairing of the two portraits in the Medici collection suggests that they were viewed as complementary representations of the artist, though the attribution of the second work has been subject to doubt ^[3]. Together, they demonstrate the range of Carracci's self-representation, from the formal profile view to a more informal presentation.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the Self-Portrait in Profile by Annibale Carracci located?

The painting is housed in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, where it forms part of the museum's collection of artists' self-portraits ^[2][3].

When was the painting created?

The work is dated to around 1590, placing it in the period of Carracci's activity in Bologna before his move to Rome ^[2][3].

How was the painting acquired by the Uffizi?

The painting was acquired by Leopoldo de' Medici, the 17th-century cardinal and collector who assembled the Uffizi's renowned series of artists' self-portraits ^[3].