When I walk through a museum or gallery, there are certain paintings
that I breeze past and others that always draw me in. Self-portraits
definitely fall into the latter category. I’m always intrigued by how
artists choose to represent themselves and perpetuate their own
personal mythologies. True, a self-portrait at its most basic is a
simple likeness. Historically, in fact, artists used self-portraits as
a kind of calling card, attesting to their ability to capture a
likeness and giving a sense of their capabilities. And, yes,
self-portraits are convenient exercises because the model is always
available and works for free. But a self-portrait can evoke and reveal
much more when taken beyond the bounds of straightforward exercise.
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