Discussion 2: Self Image – Self Portraiture

Many people are fascinated by self-portraiture. Self-portraits have a fascinating history, from
the first self-portrait in the early 1400s to the modern-day. Artists first began to produce works
with themselves in it as a signature and to relate themselves to their work. Later in the 15th
century, the free-standing self-portrait works found their way into existence. Self-portraits are
not always representational but can be abstract, symbolic, and allow the onlooker into the
artist's psyche.

I think the self-portrait is very important to the arts, the individual who produced the piece, and
the history of both. They display the individual's own sense of place within their society, such as
gender, sexuality, classism, emotions and beliefs, and exploration in general with mediums and
styles, to name a few. Tori Campbell listed great examples of artists who use different mediums
to explore themselves. The works of Van Gogh's self-portraits show his physical and mental
health' health' deterioration''. It also showed us that he had financial setbacks causing him to
use himself as the subject in his works. I also found it very interesting that Picasso's self-portrait
is known as the "first expressionist self-portrait in existence" (Campbell). Lastly, the Frida Kahlo
sources from Campbell and John Berger explained her self-portraits. It was heartbreaking to
read the meanings of the symbolism within her work. Self-portraits also show the history that
women had worked just as hard as most male artists in the art scene. Art is a form of
communication. All artists we have read about this week and all artists who produce self-
portraits send a message to the observer. * Inserts the phrase: "The ''art'' is in the eye of the
beholder" *

I vividly remember teaching myself how to draw portraits. I would sit in front of the standing
mirror in my room and use a dry-erase marker to trace the outlines of my facial features onto
the mirror. I eventually made my way to contouring on paper. Using the dry-erase marker on
the mirror helped immensely with my profile drawings. I also encourage my students to "copy"
their outline on the handheld mirrors with dry-erase markers to get a feel for the lines and
shapes of the face.

Throughout my time attending university working on my bachelor's degree, I have used myself
as a subject in my work in many different mediums: printmaking, digital art, and drawing. I felt I
did not display my own expressions or thoughts in those pieces. It was simply an assignment for
me. It wasn't until I completed a research project on the "father of realism," Gustave Courbet,
and his self-portraits, specifically "The Desperate Man" that I appreciated the self-portrait. At
25, Courbet completed this work in 1843-45 and was only discovered after his death.

Courbet presents himself frontally in a tight, claustrophobic, horizontal frame. His expression
seems to be one of both fear and psychosis. His arms are raised to his head, clenching his dark
hair, with tensed muscles bulging from his wrists and forearms. There is no escape, and the
confrontation with the viewer achieves an intensity rarely witnessed in the history of art. It has
been suggested that Courbet’s goal was to “share the intensity of a moment in which the artist,
having come to the end of his Romantic education and suddenly overcome at the spectacle of
his imminent downfall, finds the strength to repudiate a destiny that is not his.” 

References
READING/MEDIA

1.
0. Self-portraiture, Portraiture, Chp 7, by Shearer West

Actions

1. Frida Kahlo, Chp 17, by John Berger

Actions

2. The Artist Self-Portrait: A Moment of Introspection, by Tori

Campbell,  (Links to an external site.)ARTLAND.com (Links to an
external site.)
3. David Hockney: Drawing From Life, 3min (Links to an external site.)

4. The Art History of the Selfie - PBS Digital Studios, 8min (Links to an

external site.)

https://fineartconnoisseur.com/2017/06/portrait-of-the-week-gustave-courbet-the-desperate-
man/