Portrait of Sigmund Freud

What it is

This is a black-and-white studio photograph of Sigmund Freud, taken by Max Halberstadt. It shows Freud as an older man, bearded, dressed in a three-piece suit, holding a cigar.

Why it matters

This photograph is one of the most widely reproduced images of Freud and has become the defining picture of him in his later years, shaping how generations of students and the public have pictured the founder of psychoanalysis. The portrait is signed by Freud himself, showing it was an image he approved of and perhaps used to present himself publicly.

Look closer

• What impression does the photograph create through Freud's pose, clothing, and the cigar?
• Why might a photographer and sitter choose a formal studio setting rather than a casual one?
• What does a posed portrait tell us, and what might it hide about the person?