As
selfies continue to rise in popularity around the world, it is useful to
explore the history of the self-portrait and find the distinction between
self-indulgence and art
Selfies
are nothing new. People have been creating self-portraits since the 15th
century; in fact, the first self-portraits were akin to modern day photo-bombs,
with artists painting themselves into crowd scenes in historical, mythological
or religious paintings. Jan van Eyck’s self-image can be seen in a mirror in
the Arnolfini Portrait (1434). Diego Velázquez painted himself into Las Meniñas
(1656), a portrait of the Spanish royal family, essentially setting himself up
as the first portrait-bomber, the first truly modern artist. An infant might
well have said, “Hey, I thought we were going to get a nice family portrait.
What’s Velázquez’ big head doing in the shot?”
Velázquez’
big breakout in painting himself into the portrait was essentially a statement
that the artist can be more important than the painting. He proclaimed to the
world that this portrait of royals also staked the claim that the artist is
greater than the work itself; the artist becomes one with his art.
Some
have speculated that Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa (1503–1506) may actually be
a self- portrait of the artist in drag. Though probably not so, it is
interesting to ponder that da Vinci, who did have a hidden side to himself,
could keep that aspect hidden, yet revealed simultaneously.
Virginia
Oldoini Countess of Castiglione (1837–1899), better known as La Castiglione, a
mistress of Napoleon, was the first to effectively and exhaustively use the new
medium of photography for her selfies. She had herself photographed over 700
times over four decades at a time when just one could be a day-long affair,
dressing herself as a variety of historical and mythological figures, usually
embedded in elaborate tableaux art directed by the Countess herself. She only
laid aside her photography practice after advancing age began to alter her
face. She could no longer stand seeing herself.
The
queen of self-portraiture in art history has to be Frida Kahlo, who was the
first major international artist to use herself as the central subject of
almost all of her work. Obsessed with self-image, she famously said, “I paint
myself because I am so often alone and because I am the subject I know best.”
Using
herself as a subject allowed her to expose herself and explore all her hopes,
fears, dreams, accidents, operations, miscarriages, infidelities, the
alarmingly public break-ups with famed artist husband, Diego Rivera, as well as
her highly publicized affair with Leon Trotsky, prior to his murder by Stalin.
Arguably
today’s “Mistress of Selfies” is Kim Kardashian, who posts pictures of herself
on social media that are picked up by news services and published daily, often
in excessively revealing costumes. Once, on a vacation to Thailand, Kardashian
took 1,200 selfies in a single week’s time. And in 2014, she published a book
containing 357 selfies. One wonders if she will stop taking selfies as she
ages, as others have done, or will she develop as an artist and begin to reveal
truly thoughtful insights on herself through her portraits. In the 22nd
Century, will the late Kim Kardashian be lauded as one of the great artists of
the early 21st Century, or will she be remembered, if at all, as a narcissistic
fame-whore?
Before
you take that next selfie and post it on your Facebook page or Instagram, ask
yourself what the portrait says about you, truly. Is it just another fish-lip
photo? Or are you revealing something real and true about yourself? Is it just
a selfie or is it art?
Enjoy!!
