For this exercise I was asked to research artists’ self-portraits. 

I began by looking at historic examples, the first artist being Rembrandt. Rembrandt (1606-1669) was a Dutch artist who is known for being one of the most important artists in Dutch history. One of the subjects of art he was known for was his many self portraits. It is thought that Rembrandt completed nearly one hundred self portraits in his lifetime. 

Researching and looking through his self portraits that I have found in books and on the internet is fascinating, they read almost like an autobiography of his life. I have found it incredibly interesting to not only see how his face has changed over time in the usual ageing  process but also to witness how his personality and mood appears to have changed and developed over time, from hairstyles and dress to facial expression and stance. It is also incredibly interesting to see how his art style has changed and progressed over time also. 

Below are a selection of some of his self portraits: 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-portraits_by_Rembrandt

The first self portrait I looked at was  an etching called B7 1631. 

I wanted to look at this as it is said to be one of only four of his etchings that is considered as his official works, as their is uncertainty over his others being actually completed by him. 

This self portrait is an etching on paper of when Rembrandt was just 25 years old. He is wearing a soft hat and an embroidered cloak with generous folds of fur wrapped around him. In comparison to some of Rembrandt’s other etchings this work appears to be more sophisticated and detailed and holds more depth. Also unlike some of his other etchings, he is not pulling a silly face or appearing to be messing around. Below are some examples of his other etchings: 

In B4 1631, his body appears still and is turned slightly to the left and there is a heavy shadow across the left hand side of his face from his hat. His youthfulness is shown in his smooth skin and big features, his eyes make me think of innocence and his gaze looks uncertain, this is reinforced by the slight pursing of the lips, he shows an uncertainty that only the young seem to possess.

I love the texture that the process of etching manages to create. The hatching and small close together marks make me want to reach out and touch the fabric of his clothing. 

The next self portrait I decided to look at was his 1659 self portrait completed in oils.

https://www.nga.gov/collection/highlights/rembrandt-self-portrait.html

In this self portrait Rembrandt is sitting to the side with his head turned so his face is looking forwards towards the viewer. This pose makes him look important. His head is held high and this makes him look confident. He is wearing a hat and dark clothing, he has lots of curly hair that is sticking out underneath his hat. His gaze is staring outward and his deep-set eyes make me think of a man who has lived and who has gained wisdom from his many experiences. 

This painting shows a 53 year Rembrandt. In my opinion his weathered face, deep set wrinkles and extra weight make him look older than a typical 53 year old would look today. I’m not sure if this is down to healthcare & advances in technology in today’s society or if it was down to the stresses in his life at the time? I discovered from research that he was suffering financial failure at this time? 

The light illuminates his face so this is the first thing the viewer is drawn too. Every weathered mark and small detail can be seen. The light also shines on his large hands that he is holding together and slightly lights up his left shoulder just enough to work out the colour and fabric of his clothing. 

This is a stunning portrait, it makes me want to ask so many questions and it makes me want to know so much more about this extraordinary man. I have found just looking at this portrait on my computer to be mesmerising, I can’t imagine what impact it could have in real life. 

The next artist I looked at was Van Gogh, a Dutch impressionist painter. (1853-1890).

Van Gogh like Rembrandt painted many self portraits over his lifetime. It has been suggested that the reason Van Gogh painted himself so often was because he could not afford to pay for a model. 

The portrait I decided to focus on was his 1889 self portrait. I am interested in this portrait because this self portrait was painted when Van Gogh was at the asylum at St.-Rémy, where he had committed himself following a mental breakdown. This self portrait is said to be among one of, or the last self-portrait he ever made.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Gogh_self-portrait_(1889)

This portrait shows Van Gogh age 36, sat at an angle and facing forward. He is wearing a smart jacket, a collarless shirt and what appears to be a waistcoat under his jacket. 

He has red hair, green eyes and a beard, his features on his angular face appear gaunt and he holds an intense and serious gaze with a look of concentration on his face. 

When looking at the work I am immediately drawn to his eyes.

To me they look deep and sad with a hint of insecurity and confusion. 

I think his gaunt features, his confused and insecure eyes and his thin and sad face makes him look fragile.

The blue colours that are used in the background of this self portrait contrast with the orange and green tones on the face which emphasises his paleness and adds to his look of frailty. 

Van Gogh’s brush stokes are heavy and expressive, on his face these brushstrokes look like lines of age as they are mostly facing downwards and make him appear older than his 36 years, but in the background the expressive swirls add to his look of confusion, and make me think of something almost psychedelic coming out of his head- which makes sense knowing that he was in an asylum when this was painted. 

After looking at two very different yet historical artists I decided to look at how some more contemporary artists approach self portraits.

I started by looking at Tracey Emins’ Self portraits. Emin uses a range of mediums to create her works of ‘self’ including installations, sculpture, painting, drawing and mono prints. Her self portraits appear to be used almost like a diary where she records important moments, events or experiences in her life. 

I wanted to start by looking at Emins mono prints. I am familiar with Emins installation work, however I was not familiar with her mono prints. From observing and researching these mono prints in both books and the internet I discovered that Emin mainly focusses on painful moments and memories of sadness. 

I wanted to look at ‘from the week of Hell 94’.  I initially wanted to study this piece because I was intrigued by the title, I felt like I could learn something about Emin and her life from this piece of work.

Below is an image of the work: 

https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/emin-from-the-week-of-hell-94-p11568

‘From the Week of Hell ’94’ was created in 1995 and was based on the painful memories and events that took place in a week the year before. During this week Emin had major dentistry work and she also split up with her boyfriend, but perhaps most significantly she had an abortion. 

This monoprint appears to be a quick, frantic, scratchy looking drawing of that abortion. 

Emin appears to be lying naked on a Bed with her legs apart on the right of the print. Standing next to her is a dark sinister looking figure whom I would assume was the doctor performing the abortion. To the left of the piece is what looks like a figure taking away the fetus. The use of white space and frantic thin black line make me think of a large white unwelcoming room. 

To me this mono print is harrowing. In the frantic and scratchy nature in which it has been drawn makes it feel raw and honest. It makes me think of writing words in a diary in a rushed way in order to get thoughts out to make sense of emotions. But instead of words she has used line. It feels vulnerable and brutal all at the same time. Even though she has used just quick simple line, with a scratchy and informal drawing style  she seems to have included some really important details. The part that really stands out to me is the sinister looking doctor holding what appears to be a sinister looking long and torturous instrument that is positioned pointing towards her opened legs. 

This is an account of her feelings and emotions towards the procedure rather than a realistic depiction of the facts of what actually happened. I would assume that the doctor was not a sinister looking monster and was in fact a respected professional carrying out a role in the best way he could. However going through such an emotional ordeal could have made her memory remember this time differently to how the doctor for example may have remembered it. 

Below are more examples of Emins mono prints, that have also been based on traumatic experiences, some of which include text. Reinforcing the idea that her work almost reads like a deep and personal diary? 

https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/emin-fuck-you-eddy-p11569

These self portrait are so different to both Rembrandt’s and Van Gogh’s work. Both Rembrandt and Van Gogh created a skilful likeness of their exterior faces, be it in different artistic styles. However Emin has not attempted in anyway a likeness of her external self, instead she has based her art on her emotional life and has attempted her deepest saddest, hardest and probably most traumatic memories of what is in her head. Perhaps this is more important than her external face? Perhaps for Emin creating these portraits is a way to heal her memories? Maybe this is a personal type of therapy for her that also allows her to communicate with her audience? Perhaps we can learn more about someones self by what’s in their head rather than how their face looks? 

I decided to look at a more recent self portrait by Tracey Emin, this was completed in 2018, and is a more traditional if you like, version of a self portrait- it is a watercolour  painting of her face. (Or at least I will assume it is her face! This portrait is not titled a self portrait, so I am only assuming this is the case, the reason for my assumption is because all of her previous work has been about her self. However it is not a realistic enough depiction to be certain.) The title ‘The memory of Tears’ however points towards the idea that these are her tears.

Below is a copy of the image: 

https://bordercrossingsmag.com/article/her-and-you

This painting shows a face painted in delicate washed out tones of pink on a white background. There are a few scratchy lines to imply the neck and shoulders. These lines suggest an element of movement, which makes the portrait more real and seem alive. 

The eyes are blank and covered. 

The eye on the right hand side is filled in with a dark pink tone and looks closed. Whilst the eye on the left hand side is covered and almost completely obscured by a wash of grey that travels across the entire side of the page in a quite dramatic way. The direction of the brushstrokes coming downwards make her eyes look like they are crying. This links in well with the title of the piece ‘The memory of tears’.

To me Emin looks vulnerable in this painting this is reinforced by the fact that I can’t look into her eyes. Looking at this portrait makes me feel like I am intruding in her personal space. 

From my research on Tracey Emin, I discovered that she was inspired by artist Egon Shiele. This I found was evident in the nature of her drawing style, especially the wiry figures and in much of her sexual subject matter too. Therefore I decided the next natural step in this research point would be to research the self portraiture of Egon Shiele. 

Egon Shiele was an Austrian painter  (1890-1918). 

He is known for the many self portraits he produced and for the intense and sexual nature of his work. 

Below are a selection of some of his self portraits: 

These portraits all show twisted body shapes and expressive line with an intensity in their facial expressions. These self portraits like Emins, all give me the impression of someone who is deeply disturbed.

I decided to look further at his self portrait 1911.

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/483438

This portrait shows Shieles  emaciated nude body from the top of his thighs upwards . He is facing forward towards the viewer and the painting has an unfinished feel about it. The portrait looks revealing and I feel like I am intruding in Shieles private space.

In the portrait Shieles looks bony and angular, it makes me think of a tortured prisoner or somebody struggling with an eating disorder. 

He is surrounded by a jagged while line which is almost like an aura around his body, but also seems to highlight his thin emaciated body. 

The quick brushstrokes and visible pencil line makes him look agitated. His facial expression looks tortured. He has large dark bloodshot eyes that are staring widely, with red lines underneath them. His mouth is open and his hair is standing up. One arm his hidden behind his tiny body whilst the other is held up in the air and bent down at the elbow. 

The colours used on this portrait have been used sparingly. Shieles has used a selection of realistic skin tones of browns oranges and fleshy pinks on his body. His face is darker than the rest of his body, to me this makes him look wild or scared or both? His stomach area barely has any colour applied to it which reinforces how thin he is. There is no background to this portrait, perhaps this is so the viewer focuses all their attention towards the portrait? 

Over all I really like the self portraits of Egon Shieles, even though they are most definitely disturbing, I feel like as a viewer I get to learn a little about the artists inner thoughts. 

For this research point I have explored the way four very different artists from four very different time periods have approached self portraiture. 

All four artists were known for creating many multiple self portraits and each artist approached it differently. I hope that I can experiment with some of their styles later on in this project. 

Bibliography:

National Gallery of Art. (2020) Rembrandt van rijn. At: https://www.nga.gov/collection/highlights/rembrandt-self-portrait.html (Accessed 17/09/2020).  

Wikipedia. (2020) Self-portraits by Rembrandt. At: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-portraits_by_Rembrandt (Accessed 17/09/2020).

Wikipedia. (2020) Van Gogh Self Portraits. At: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Gogh_self-portrait_(1889) (Accessed 18/09/2020).

National Gallery of Art. (2020) Vincent Van Gogh self portrait 1889. At: https://www.nga.gov/collection/highlights/van-gogh-self-portrait.html (Accessed 18/09/2020).

Van Gogh Museum Amsterdam. (2020) Van Gogh’s Self-portraits. At: https://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/en/art-and-stories/stories/5-things-you-need-to-know-about-van-goghs-self-portraits (Accessed 18/09/2020).

National Portrait Gallery. (2020)Tracey Emin. At: https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person/mp14165/tracey-emin (Accessed 20/09/2020).

Wikipedia. (2020) Tracey Emin. At: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tracey_Emin (Accessed 20/09/2020).

Tate Gallery. (2020) Tracey Emin from the week of hell. At: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/emin-from-the-week-of-hell-94-p11568 (Accessed 20/09/2020).

Schwabsky B. (2019) Her and You the changing language of Tracey Emins new painting. At: https://bordercrossingsmag.com/article/her-and-you (Accessed 21/09/2020).

Wikipedia. (2020) Egon Schiele. At: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egon_Schiele (Accessed 22/09/2020).

The Met. (2020) Self Portrait 1911 Egon Schiele Austraian. At https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/483438 (Accessed 22/09/2020)