This self-portrait by Nikola Nešković (1739-1785) was painted around 1775 and is now displayed at the National Museum of Serbia. I rather liked the idea of the portrait as an eighteenth century professional profile picture for LinkedIn or similar as what other options did they have? Nešković presents himself in fashionable clothing, while the paintbrush in his hand and palette beside him make his occupation immediately clear. Having trained as an artist and become known particularly for his religious paintings, icons and frescoes, he was showing viewers that being an artist was not merely something he did but a central part of his identity and social standing.
Unlike a modern photograph, a self-portrait allowed Nešković to choose and control almost everything the viewer would see. The restrained pose, expensive looking clothes and quietly confident expression present him as a cultivated and successful professional, while the brush provides the eighteenth century equivalent of listing his skills. It is essentially a LinkedIn profile created in oils, although he resisted adding an inspirational account of how waking at five every morning transformed his approach to leadership.
Ultimately, he had achieved the difficult task of looking creative, prosperous and available for commissions without once describing himself as passionate.