Self-Portraits-in the time of the

“selfie”

Francisco de Goya, “Autorretrato en el taller (Self-portrait in the Studio),” 1790–

95, oil on canvas, 42 x 28 cm

Portrait Definition

• Portrait painting is a genre in painting, where the intent is to depict the visual appearance of the subject. The term is usually applied to the depiction of human subjects.

• Historically, portrait paintings have primarily memorialized the rich and powerful. Over time, however, it became more common for middle-class patrons to commission portraits.

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portrait_painting

• As Aristotle stated, "The aim of Art is to present not the outward appearance of things, but their inner significance; for this, not the external manner and detail, constitutes true reality." – Gordon C. Aymar, The Art of Portrait Painting, Chilton

Book Co., Philadelphia, 1967, p. 119

RESPONSE: Think about this statement, discuss, and respond in your IWB. Do you

agree or disagree? Why?

Hierarchy of Genre• Hierarchy of genres: ranks genres in an art

form in terms of their prestige and cultural value.• Formulated for painting in 16th century Italy, little

alteration until the early 19th century. • Formalized and promoted by the academies in

Europe between the 17th century and the modern era.

• ORDER: History, Portrait, Genre (scenes of everyday life), Landscape, Animal, Still-lifehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hierarchy_of_genres

RESPONSE: Does this order seem reasonable? Can you understand why historically this was the case? Do you think it still applies?

Self-Portrait Definition

• A self-portrait is a representation of an artist, created by the artist.

• Although self-portraits have been made by artists 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. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self_portrait

• RESPONSE: why would an artist make a self-portrait? Why would they become more common

after the mid-15th century?

• Jan van Eyck, Portrait of a Man in a Turban, 1433

• Vincent van Gogh, Self-portrait, 1887

• Katsushika Hokusai, self-portrait, 19th century

• Marie Élisabeth Louise Vigée, Self-portrait in a Straw Hat, 1782.

• Lois Mailou Jones, self-portrait, 1940

• Zinaida Serebriakova, At the Dressing-Table, 1909

• Gustave Courbet 'Self-Portrait, The Despairing Man' 1843-1845

• Henri Matisse, Self-Portrait in a Striped T-shirt, 1906

• Pablo Picasso. Self-Portrait, 1907

• Frida Kahlo, Self-portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird, 1940

• Paul Gauguin, Self-portrait, 1889

• Marc Chagall, I and the Village, 1911

Critique• Individual:

– What do you see? (colour, texture, balance, rhythm, focal point, etc)

– What do you think the artist was trying to accomplish?

• Pair: Compare and contrast– Style/technique, colour choices,

representation of self, etc

• Your art:– What made you select these pieces?– What aspects might you use in your art?

Symmetry

• How do you deal with your lack of symmetry in a self-portrait? – Mirror flips side– Photographs are a different experience of

“self”

• Alan John Beck photo series:– http://www.buzzfeed.com/tabathaleggett/

portraits-thatve-been-photoshopped-to-appear-perfectly-sy