What is "self-portrait"

1821, from self- + portrait, translating German Selbstbildnis.

n. The bust of an artist by the artist him/herself; a portrait of the painter who painted it.

n. a portrait of yourself created by yourself

A self-portrait is a representation of an artist that is drawn, painted, photographed, or sculpted by that artist. Although self-portraits have been made since the earliest times, it is not until the Early Renaissance in the mid-15th century that artists can be frequently identified depicting themselves as either the main subject, or as important characters in their work. With better and cheaper mirrors, and the advent of the panel portrait, many painters, sculptors and printmakers tried some form of self-portraiture. Portrait of a Man in a Turban by Jan van Eyck of 1433 may well be the earliest known panel self-portrait. He painted a separate portrait of his wife, and he belonged to the social group that had begun to commission portraits, already more common among wealthy Netherlanders than south of the Alps. The genre is venerable, but not until the Renaissance, with increased wealth and interest in the individual as a subject, did it become truly popular.

A self-portrait is a picture made by the person that it depicts.

The term self portrait or self-portrait may also refer to:

Self-Portrait is a 2008 studio album by Swedish artist Jay-Jay Johanson.

The Self-portrait is commonly dated between 1504 and 1506. It measures 47.5 cm by 33 cm. The portrait was noted in an inventory of the private collection of Duke Leopoldo de' Medici, completed in 1675, and later listed in the 1890 Uffizi inventory.

The Self-portrait of Giorgione is a 1510 self-portrait by the Italian painter Giorgione. It is held at the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest, from which it was stolen on 5 November 1983. It was recovered in Operation Budapest.

Category:1510 paintings Giorgione Category:16th-century portraits Category:Collections of the Museum of Fine Arts (Budapest)

Self-Portrait (or Self-Portrait at Twenty-Eight Years Old Wearing a Coat with Fur Collar) is a painting on wood panel by the German Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer. Painted early in 1500, just before his 29th birthday, it is the last of his three painted self-portraits. It is considered the most personal, iconic and complex of his self-portraits, and the one that has become fixed in the popular imagination.

The self-portrait is most remarkable because of its resemblance to many earlier representations of Christ. Art historians note the similarities with the conventions of religious painting, including its symmetry, dark tones and the manner in which the artist directly confronts the viewer and raises his hands to the middle of his chest as if in the act of blessing.

Self-portrait is an oil on canvas painting by Thomas Eakins, presented as a diploma piece upon his election as an Associate member of the National Academy of Design in 1902. Although Eakins included himself as an observer or participant in group portraits and genre scenes, this and a smaller unsigned and undated oil, thought to have been made at about the same time, are the only unadorned self-portraits he ever painted. Lloyd Goodrich wrote that it "is not only one of his finest head and bust likenesses, but a revealing human document; in the direct look of his remarkable eyes one can see strength, penetrating intelligence, and a touch of ironic humor."

The Self-portrait is a self-portrait painted by the artist Jacques-Louis David in 1794 whilst in prison at the hôtel des fermes for having supported the robespierristes. It was his third and last self-portrait - the second was the 1791 Aux trois collets ( Uffizi, Florence). He gave it to his former student Jean-Baptiste Isabey and it then entered the collections of the Louvre in 1852 (inv. 3705).

David, Jacques-Louis David, Jacques-Louis Category:Jacques-Louis David portraits David, Jacques-Louis

Self-Portrait is a 1660 oil on canvas painting of himself by the Dutch artist Rembrandt. Painted when the artist was fifty-four, it has been noted as a work in which may be seen "the wrinkled brow and the worried expression the troubled condition of his mind". Part of the Benjamin Altman Collection, it has been in the Metropolitan Museum of Art since 1913.

Self-Portrait is a c.1550-62 self-portrait by Titian.

Category:1550s paintings Titian Titian, Berlin Category:Paintings in the Gemäldegalerie, Berlin Titian, Berlin

This 1629 self-portrait by Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn is part of the Clowes Fund Collection of the Indianapolis Museum of Art in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is among the earliest of his self-portraits (possibly the very first), of which he produced dozens over the course of four decades.

Self-Portrait is an oil-on-canvas painting by the Italian painter Titian. Dating to about 1560, when Titian was at least 70 years old, it is the latter of two surviving self-portraits by the artist. The work is a realistic and unflattering depiction of the physical effects of old age, and as such shows none of the self-confidence of his earlier self-portrait (c. 1546–47) now in Berlin. That painting shows Titian in three-quarter view in an alert pose. He looks remote and gaunt, staring into the middle distance, seemingly lost in thought. Still, this portrait projects dignity, authority and the mark of a master painter to a greater extent than the earlier surviving self-portrait.

The artist is dressed in simple but expensive clothes. In the lower left corner of the canvas he holds a paintbrush. Although the presence of the paintbrush is understated, it is the element that gives legitimacy to his implied status. Titian gave no indication as to his craft or profession in the Berlin portrait or any other earlier works; indeed this is one of the earliest self-portraits in western art in which the artist reveals himself as a painter. Titian's influence was such that the work led to numerous self-portraits by later generations of artists, including Velázquez and Goya, who in, respectively, Las Meninas (1656) and Charles IV of Spain and His Family (1800 - 1801) depicted themselves in the act of painting.

The portrait is composed of deep shades of rich and distinguished black and brown, with small touches of white around his face and hair, and on his neckline and chain. Given the relatively flat pictorial plane, the viewer's attention is drawn to the sitter's sharp facial features: his high forehead, hooked nose, long beard and penetrating, deeply set eyes. Here, Titian's command of paint and shade marks a high point of his late period, and while the physical charisma seen in the Berlin picture has been diminished by age, it is now replaced with a sense of authority.

Titian was keenly aware of how others perceived him, and sought to control his reputation by keeping to a minimum public knowledge of his life. Giorgio Vasari noted that by this stage in his life Titian had amassed enough wealth to not depend on commissioned work, or be beholden to any patron. His self-portrait was intended to enhance how he was viewed by others. It draws attention to both his advanced age and—through his fine clothes and portrait in profile (a view then reserved for only the most noble)—his status.

Titian inserted a similar self-portrait in which he wore a skull cap in his The Virgin and Child with Saints Titian and Andrew, which he intended for his tomb in Pieve di Cadore.

Self-Portrait is a small painting executed in oil on oak in 1548 by the Flemish Renaissance artist Caterina van Hemessen when she was 20 years old. The painting earned her a considerable reputation during her lifetime and is significant not only for being an early modern female portrait but also for representing an artist in the act of painting. This was very unusual for the time; although self-portraits were common, only a few, like those of Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528), showed the artist's social position and everyday life. Artists of the time rarely directly referred to, much less showed the tools of their profession. Hemessen's portrait is one of the earliest in the Northern European tradition to show a painter not only with a brush but also a palette and easel. She inscribed it with the words: "I Caterina van Hemessen have painted myself / 1548 / Her aged 20".

Hemessen is shown at half length and holding a brush, looking outwards as if at her own image as she records it on the oak panel in front of her. She has only begun work on the depicted painting, no background has been put down, and only a sketch of her head can be seen. Her face is painted with soft brush-strokes, while the textures of her gown are distinguished using a wider variety of brushmarks.

In the main image, Hemessen has shown herself elegantly clothed in a black brocade dress and red velvet sleeves. While such an outfit would have been impractical wear for an artist working with oils and brushes, her clothes are intended to indicate her social rank and attribute personal dignity. Her arms are outsized in proportion to the rest of her body.

There are a number of deliberate contradictions and explorations of mirror images at play. Hemessen holds the brush with her right hand; she would have corrected the reversal on the reflected image. Her head as shown on the panel is undersized and situated on the top left; that is opposite to the position her head appears on the actual painting. Her head is turned in the direction of the viewer but her eyes do not meet the viewer's. Typical of her work, the background is plain and dark, and gives no indication of the space occupied by the sitter.

A number of obstacles stood in the way of contemporary women who wished to become painters. Chief amongst these was the fact that their training would involve both the dissection of cadavers and the study of the nude male form. In addition, the system of apprenticeship meant that the aspiring artist would need to live with an older artist for 4–5 years, often beginning from the age of 9–15. For these reasons, female artists were extremely rare, and those that did make it through were typically trained by a close relative, in van Hemessen's case, by her father.

The Self Portrait is a 1658 self portrait by Rembrandt, formerly owned by the Earl of Ilchester and now in the Frick Collection in New York.

The Self-portrait is an oil on canvas by Rubens measuring 109.5 cm by 85 cm and dating to between 1638 and 1639. It is now in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. It is a courtly portrait in style (such as showing the sword, glove and column), but shows more attention to facial detail than was usual in a portrait of that kind.

The Self-portrait is a self-portrait by Anthony van Dyck, produced around 1640. It was purchased for the National Portrait Gallery, London in 2014.

The Self-portrait of 1613-14 is the first surviving self-portrait by the Flemish artist Anthony van Dyck, showing him aged about fifteen. At that date he was still working for Hendrick van Balen but was about to join Peter Paul Rubens' studio. Self-portraiture was a typical artform in the Northern Renaissance and had already been used by Peter Paul Rubens and Jan van Eyck.

Self Portrait (or The Large Self-Portrait) is an oil on canvas painting by the Dutch artist Rembrandt. Painted in 1652, it is one of at least 40 self-portraits painted by the artist, and was the first he had painted since 1645. In composition it is different from his previous self-portraits, depicting the painter in a direct frontal pose, hands on his hips, and with an air of self-confidence. It was painted the year that his financial difficulties began, and breaks with the sumptuous finery he had worn in previous self-portraits. Art historian Christopher White has called it "one of the most magisterial and sombre of these (late) pictures". It is in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.

The freely painted clothing includes a brown robe that was most likely casual working attire, secured with a sash, over a black doublet with an upturned collar. A drawing from c. 1650 shows Rembrandt in much the same pose and attire, and features an inscription, though not by the artist's hand, stating that these were the artist's studio clothes. In the drawing Rembrandt is seen wearing a top hat, while in the painting he wears a black beret derivative of artists' portraits of the 16th century.

Following a period of seven years when he painted no self-portraits, focusing instead on landscapes and intimate domestic subjects, the Vienna Self Portrait inaugurated a prolific stretch in which Rembrandt painted an average of one self-portrait a year until his death in 1669. Contrary to the popular understanding that these paintings primarily represented a deeper personal interest in self-depiction, Ernst van de Wetering has proposed that they were painted specifically for connoisseurs who collected self-portraits by prominent artists.

As in other late portraits and self-portraits by Rembrandt, a painted underlayer shows through in areas of shadow, here particularly in the eye sockets and beneath the moustache. Microscopic analysis has revealed that this is not the painted ground layer, which is a similar gray color, but a separate underlayer of paint. This local imprimatura, used in preparation for specific areas of the painting, was also practiced by Vermeer, and its purpose is not fully understood.

A strong similarity has been noted to the self-portrait of c. 1655, also in the Vienna Kunsthistorisches Museum. The later work shares the frontal angle, lighting, and informal attire of the larger painting, though the artist's face appears older.

A painting of Rembrandt' son Titus van Rijn, by another artist in the style of Rembrandt, duplicates the pose and positioning of the figure in the Self Portrait.

Self-Portrait, or Portrait of the Artist in a Redingote, is an 1835 oil-on-canvas painting by French romantic artist Théodore Chassériau, which was painted when the artist was 16. It is currently housed at the Musée du Louvre.

One of the few self-portraits Chassériau painted, Portrait of the Artist in a Redingote shows him standing and facing left, one hand concealed within his black jacket, a small book held within his other hand, at rest upon a red tablecloth. In the background is a gray-green wall, upon which hangs a palette in the upper left corner. The painter's pose is elegant, and his gaze has been described as "astonishingly young, and at the same time, weary".

Although the painting has been compared to classical and contemporary prototypes—portraits by Raphael, Bronzino, Titian, and Ingres have been cited as inspirations—the painting is consistent with a series of portraits of family members painted by Chassériau in his youth. The portrait is a frank portrayal of Chassériau's unattractive features, much commented upon during his life: Alice Ozy, later his mistress, referred to him as "the monkey". By comparison, a self-portrait of 1838, also in the Louvre, appears more idealized.

Self-portrait (or Self-portrait at 26) is the second of Albrecht Dürer's three painted self-portraits. In this work, executed in oil on wood panel in 1498, Dürer haughtily elevates himself to the social position he believed suited to an artist of his ability. Dürer depicts himself indoors under an arch, in half length, turning towards the viewer. Painted after his first trip to Italy, he is depicted bearing an arrogant, cocky expression which betrays the assured self-confidence of a young artist at the height of his ability. Dürer's presence dominates the pictorial space, from his hat which almost reaches the top of the canvas to his arm positioned on the lower ledge, where he rests his fingers enclosed in fine rich gloves.

Until some time in the 19th century the painting was hung with and kept as a companion piece with Portrait of Dürer's Father at 70; in 1636 the two paintings were gifted as a pair to Charles I of England by the city of Nuremberg, and this work was at some point acquired by Philip IV of Spain. Today it is in the Museo del Prado in Madrid.

Self-portrait (in Croatian: Autoportret) is one of the earliest works of Croatian artist Marino Tartaglia. He painted it in 1917, in the expressionist style.

Self-portrait is a painting by the Finnish artist Vilho Lampi (1898-1936) from 1933.

The painting measures 47 × 36.5 centimeters. It has been in the Ateneum in Helsinki since 1934.

Vilho Lampi created several self-portraits. In this image the artist is sitting at a table and smoking a cigarette.

The Self-portrait is a small drawing by the German Renaissance artist and printmaker Hans Holbein the Younger, completed around 1542-1543, and housed in the Uffizi, Florence. The gold background was added later by a different artist. According to art historian John Rowlands, "Although this drawing has been enlarged on all sides and heavily reworked, enough of it still shows to allow the assumption that the original work was executed by Holbein. The inscription, also a later addition, evidently records an even earlier one, of which slight traces remain.

Copies of the drawing exist, including one by Lucas Horenbout, in which the left-handed Holbein is holding a paintbrush. Art historian Stephanie Buck notes that Holbein's direct gaze suggests he was looking into a mirror. Holbein died not long after completing this self-portrait, probably of the plague.

The work was acquired in London for Gran Duke Cosimo III de' Medici in 1681. As in other works by Holbein, there is much attention given to details, such as the hair strands, which were painted one-by-one.