Project Paper - Self-Portraits

Project Paper - Self-Portraits

Introduction

Since the introduction of the mirror in the fifteenth century, many artists have created independent self-portraits (Kelly & Lucie-Smith, 1987); a portrait that an artist makes using himself or herself as its subject, typically created from a reflection in a mirror. Most painters have painted a self-portrait, and some artists, such as Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, have intensely practiced this form of self-study throughout their careers. Here in this journal we will bring forward the thoughts of Rembrandt on his remarkable art.

Discussion

Primary Reason for Painting a Self-Portrait

Well I believe that self-portraiture is attractive to an artist because it is a private activity, where pleasing others is not an issue. Some people think that artists created self-portraits to avoid hiring models to sit for them. However, this theory is untenable when closely considered (White & Rijn, 1999). When considering the motivations of the great masters of self-portraiture, the lack of a model or money to pay a model is often not the case. Painting a self-portrait is instinctual, an attempt for self-perpetuation. The self-portraiture allows an artist like me to deal with death by creating an immortal self and is similar to the desire to have a child to carry on one's name. Therefore, I consider self-portrait as a projection of self or a reflection of the mind. If I talk about myself, my personality, which includes the unconscious, is represented in my self-portrait. Thus, for me self-portrait works as a transitional space that provides a safe area in which to process the feelings associated with emotional distress. Creating a self-portrait allows me to discharge inner emotional tension through a controlled and appropriate creative outlet (White & Rijn, 1999). By reproducing aspects of emotional distress in symbolic form, I feel more in control and can master chaotic or disturbing feelings without being overwhelmed.

Artistic Choices in Composition

Self-portrait, in my opinion is an independent genre of artistic expression. Regardless of the medium, it has been attributed to the invention of the flat, non-distorting mirror (Bonafoux, 1985). I have been attributed as the very first artist to create self-portraits as a study of the self. I created sixty autobiographical self-portraits; however my preference is the attempt to break away from the traditional depiction of the face and the attempt to reveal the character of myself. For instance, I created self-portraits that depicted fantasy by adding an environment to symbolize social status or mental state (Bonafoux, 1985). My second choice is the narrative self-portrait. Abstractionism led to a shift away from representational painting to painting that allowed colors, shapes, and patterns to represent my inner life and also the world around me. This led to my ultimate choice, the metaphorical self-portrait where I infuse my identity into abstract images by conveying my emotions as an artist.

Portrait that Represents Me

During my young age, I had decked out myself and my models with the most extraordinary costumes or dresses (Schama & Rijn, 2001). The list of my possessions proves that I was ...