The Self-Portrait：A Cultural History

Inthisbroadculturalsurveyofself-portraiture,arthistorianandcriticJamesHallbrilliantlymapsthehistoryofthegenre,fromtheearliestmythsofNarcissusandtheChristiantraditionofbearingwitnesstotheprolificself-image-makingoftodayscontemporaryartists.Hisvividaccountshowshowartistsdepictionsofthemselveshavebeenpartofacontinuingtraditionthatreachesbackforcenturies.Alongthewayherevealstheimportanceofthemedievalmirrorcraze;theexplosionofthegenreduringtheRenaissance;theconfessionalself-portraitsofTitianandMichelangelo;theroleofbiographyforserialself-portraitistssuchasCourbetandvanGogh;themesofsexandgeniusinworksbyMunch,BonnardandModersohn-Becker;andthelatestdevelopmentsofthegenreintheeraofglobalizationThefullrangeofself-portraitsiscoveredhere,fromcomicandcaricatureself-portraitstoinventedorimaginaryones,aswellaskeycollectionsofself-portraituresuchasthatoftheMediciinFlorence.Throughout,Hallaskswhyandwhenartistshavechosentomakeself-portraits,andlooksdeeplyintotheworldsandmindsetsoftheartistswhohavecreatedthem.Comprehensiveandbeautifullyillustrated,thebookfeaturestheworkofawiderangeofartistsincludingAlberti,Caravaggio,Courbet,Dürer,Emin,Gauguin,Giotto,Goya,Kahlo,Koons,Magritte,Mantegna,Picasso,Raphael,RembrandtandWarhol.Offeringarichandlivelyhistory,TheSelf-Portraitisanessentialreadforallthoseinterestedinthismostenduringlypopularandhumaneofartforms.JamesHallisanarthistorian,lecturerandbroadcaster,andisavisitingresearchfellowattheUniversityofSouthampton.FormerlychiefartcriticoftheGuardian,hecontributestopublicationsincludingTheTimesLiterarySupplement,Guardian,WallStreetJournalandArtNewspaper.HallistheauthorofcriticallyacclaimedbooksincludingTheWorldasSculpture:TheChangingStatusofSculpturefromtheRenaissancetothePresentDayandTheSinisterSide:HowLeftRightSymbolismShapedWesternArt.