self-portrait
Quick Summary
A self-portrait is a portrait of oneself, done by oneself. This art form has a long history, with early examples found in ancient Egyptian sarcophagi and Roman mummy portraits.12
Notable self-portraits include:
* Angelica Kauffmann's Self-Portrait (1787), depicting herself as a working artist in classical dress.3
* Sofonisba Anguissola's Self-Portrait at the Easel (1556), considered one of the first showing a woman artist at work.4
* Christian Schad's Self-Portrait (1927), a masterpiece linked to the New Objectivity movement.5
Self-portraits can be found in various media, including paintings and drawings, and are collected by institutions like the National Portrait Gallery in London.67
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
Albrecht DürerFirst journey to Italy…the Renaissance spirit is a self-portrait, painted in 1498. Here Dürer sought to convey, in the representation of his own person, the aristocratic ideal of the Renaissance. He liked the way he looked as a handsome, fashionably attired young man, confronting life rather conceitedly. In place of the conventional, neutral,…
Read More…the Renaissance spirit is a self-portrait, painted in 1498. Here Dürer sought to convey, in the representation of his own person, the aristocratic ideal of the Renaissance. He liked the way he looked as a handsome, fashionably attired young man, confronting life rather conceitedly. In place of the conventional, neutral,…
Read More
Vincent van GoghThe productive decade of Vincent van Goghof Père Tanguy (1887) and Self-Portrait in Front of the Easel (1887–88), as well as in some landscapes of the Parisian suburbs.
Read Moreof Père Tanguy (1887) and Self-Portrait in Front of the Easel (1887–88), as well as in some landscapes of the Parisian suburbs.
Read More
Frida KahloEarly years and bus accident… (1926), Kahlo painted a waist-length portrait of herself against a dark background with stylized waves. Although the painting is fairly abstract, Kahlo’s soft modeling of her face shows her interest in naturalism. The stoic gaze so prevalent in her later art is already evident, and the exaggeratedly long neck and…
Read More… (1926), Kahlo painted a waist-length portrait of herself against a dark background with stylized waves. Although the painting is fairly abstract, Kahlo’s soft modeling of her face shows her interest in naturalism. The stoic gaze so prevalent in her later art is already evident, and the exaggeratedly long neck and…
Read More- Morimura Yasumasa
…artist known for his large-scale self-portraits that are often superimposed on art-historical images or on pictures of iconic individuals.
Read More…artist known for his large-scale self-portraits that are often superimposed on art-historical images or on pictures of iconic individuals.
Read More 
Rembrandt…face as well as more-formal self-portraits, a fact that has led to much speculation.
Read More…face as well as more-formal self-portraits, a fact that has led to much speculation.
Read More- RembrandtGrowing fame
…be key to understanding Rembrandt’s self-portraits. The greater part of Rembrandt’s activity in front of the mirror has long been considered to be a highly personal quest for the “self.” According to the latest insights, however, these works must be seen, on the one hand, as portraits of an uomo…
Read More…be key to understanding Rembrandt’s self-portraits. The greater part of Rembrandt’s activity in front of the mirror has long been considered to be a highly personal quest for the “self.” According to the latest insights, however, these works must be seen, on the one hand, as portraits of an uomo…
Read More