Bendz was 22 years old in 1826 when he painted this endearing self-portrait, in which he is dressed in his best clothes. Klaus Mortensen writes very significantly about the portrait: “It is a picture of a self-aware, but neither self-sufficient nor self-absorbed young painter. A deeply committed, curious person with an open mind, eager to learn”.

1826 was also the year in which Bendz exhibited for the first time at Charlottenborg. He got his breakthrough with two sold portraits of three exhibited. These are: “Modelskolen på Kunstakademiet” (Life class at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts) (The National Gallery of Denmark, Inv. No. KMS54) and “En ung kunstner (Ditlev Blunck) betragter en skitse i et spejl” (A young artist (Ditlev Blunck) looks at a sketch in a mirror) (The National Gallery of Denmark, Inv. No. KMS280) (see photo). The third presented “Maleren Christian Holm” (The painter Christian Holm). That one today at the Museum of National History at Frederiksborg Castle (Inv. No. A. 2754).

At the beginning of the 19th century, it became common for the middle classes to have themselves portrayed and they often preferred a simple, traditional and natural portrait in the style of the present self-portrait. When it came to the various artists portraying each other, the so-called artist portraits, there was an opportunity to experiment and work more freely with the subject, as is precisely the case with the portraits of Blunck and Holm.

After unsuccessfully trying to acquire the sought-after gold medal, which released the money for the great educational trip abroad, Bendz obtained a travel grant from the Usus Publicos Foundation in 1830 to be able to go abroad and improve his skills. The journey began in June 1831 and the goal was to reach Rome. The trip included Hamburg Berlin, Dresden, Nuremberg and Munich, where he stayed for a whole year. Unfortunately, he never reached Rome. Bendz came with his traveling companion Ditlev Blunck (1798–1854) to Vicenza in November 1832 (corrected 19 February to '1832' from '1833'). Here, he became seriously ill and died on 14 November with Blunck by his side.

Therefore, not many works from his hand exist. Another artist's portrait by Bendz can be mentioned depicting “En billedhugger (Christen Christensen) arbejder efter levende model i sit atelier” (A sculptor (Christen Christensen 1806–1845) works from a live model in his studio) (The National Gallery of Denmark, Inv. no. KMS62). A number of portraits, i.a. of the Bendz family. ”Det raffenbergske famliebillede“ (The Raffenberg family portrait) (The Nationl Gallery of Denmark, Inv. No. KMS7594) and ”Det waagepeterske familiebillede" (The Waagepetersen family portrait) (The National Gallery of Denmark) (Inv. No. KM8003), dated 1830. That one sold at Bruun Rasmussen auction 640, 1997, no. 109, for DKK 2.6 million.

In Munich, he painted the large, well-composed painting “Kunstnere i Finks kaffehus i München” (Artists in Fink's coffee house in Munich), dated 1832 with the dimensions 94.8×136.6 cm, today at The Thorvaldsen Museum (Inv. No. B 197). On the way to Rome, he painted several smaller nature studies e.g. from the village Ramsau near Berchtesgaden in Bayern.

Provenance: The Hirschsprung Collection. The self-portrait was in 1919 deposited outside the collection. The painting left the collection 15/6 1942 by board decision by Director of the museum Eigil H. Brünniche (1906–1995) and was acquired by descendants of the artist's family. Thence by descent until today.

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