Self-portrait and Self image

By definition a self-portrait is a representation of oneself by a diverse medium. Throughout the history of the world, from Narcissus to contemporary selfies, man through his image seeks to represent himself to others and himself.

According to Pliny the Elder, artists have been practicing self-portraiture since the 4th century BC.

The self-portraits and the traces that the artists leave of themselves can be very hidden like an invitation to play hide and seek.

Like Botteceli in 1475 in his painting The adoration of the Magi, we can see the gaze towards the spectators represented on the right of the painting.

But others, especialy from the Renaissance, dare to show themselves and take advantage of self-portraits to exist. This corresponds to the emergence of the concept of artist which appears at this time in other arts.

The first famous true self-portraits was painted during the 15th century, the most famous of them which is: The man with the red turban by Jan Eyck in 1433.

In literature we also find this art exercise, for exemple Montaigne in his Essais sometimes draws self-portraits where he highlights his incapacities by using humor. Or l'autoportrait de François de La Rochefoucauld in the Recueil des portraits et éloges in 1 659. There is an excerpt:

"I am of medium height, free and well proportioned. I have a brown but fairly even

complexion, a high forehead and of a reasonable size, black eyes, small and sunken,

 and black and thick eyebrows, but well turned. I would be very much prevented from

saying what kind my nose is, for it is neither snub nor aquiline, neither large nor

 pointed, at least so far as I believe."

Little by little, the self-portrait will serve as a place of introspection and exploration of intimate life. the artists will put themselves forward and expose themselves while putting themselves on stage.

Because very often they play with symbols and while exploring their inner self they create it by representing themselves as they want. On canvas or on paper they play with colors and words to reveal without showing everything.

This will give rise to series of paintings and colossal literary works.

Like the big series by Dürer :

Dürer 1500

Or in literature : books like Histoire de ma vie by Georges Sand Or La vie d'Henry Brulard by Stendhal.

The self-portraits also leads to visit the suffering and the dark corners of lives.

For example we can look at the series by Frida Kahlo, who after a terrible accident and horrible sufferings remained alive with painting, precisely of self-portraits.