At different times, people had different attitudes towards the artist. We do not know the names of the earliest artists. In antiquity, artists were already known, they signed their creations. You can even find two signatures on Greek ceramics: the potter who made the amphora and the artist who painted it. The Middle Ages once again hid the names of artists, sculptors and architects from us. And so, from the beginning of the Renaissance to the present day, we know the names of artists, their biographies and creative path well.
It would seem that painting self-portraits should be a common thing for artists. But, for a really long time, artists did not paint their self-portraits, it was something unusual and not accepted. One of the good reasons was that the materials for creating the picture were expensive and it did not make sense to spend resources in this way. After all, no one would buy a self-portrait of an artist. Only with the heyday of the Renaissance and in the following epochs can we meet artists who actively painted their self-portraits, exploring human nature and improving their skills. Albrecht Dürer and Rembrandt van Rijn should be noted among the most productive masters of self-portraits.
However, artists have always been able to perpetuated their image secretly, inscribing their self-portrait into a multi-figure religious or historical picture, giving historical or biblical characters their individual features. It is precisely such hidden self-portraits that will be discussed further.
One of the greatest sculptors in history and the creator of the paintings in the Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel with almost no experience working with frescoes. However, this work became his business card. And a few years later, Michelangelo was again invited to the Vatican, this time to paint the altar wall. The plot became the «Last Judgment» and the artist hid his image there. His face can be seen in the image of the skin taken from Saint Bartholomew (the fourth apostle who was tortured by removing the skin). Why Michelangelo chose his image for his self-portrait is unknown. It can be assumed that the reason was the patronage of Bartholomew over plasterers. Such self-irony on the part of an artist who worked on raw plaster to create his ingenious frescoes.
Hieronymus Bosch rightfully occupies the niche of the most mysterious artist. Very little is known about Bosch’s life, and we do not know exactly what he looked like. However, there is an assumption that Hieronymus Bosch left us his self-portrait in his most famous triptych «The Garden of Earthly Delights», namely in the right wing «Musical Hell». The literary source for this panel was the work «The Vision of Tundale». Here you can see many monsters and various tortures associated with musical instruments. And the only depiction of a human face found on the panel is believed to be Bosch’s self-portrait.
Caravaggio is an artist who set the trend for all European art of the 17th century. His chiaroscuro modeling had a tremendous influence on Velázquez, Rembrandt and Rubens. But Caravaggio was a genius only in painting, but in life he was a criminal. His bad luck eventually cost him his life. However, Caravaggio also had a significant amount of self-irony, because he depicted himself in the painting «David with the Head of Goliath» not in the image of a young and brave David, but in the severed head of the Philistine Goliath.
Raphael was one of the most successful artists, and unlike Michelangelo and Caravaggio, who had problems with communication, he knew how to find a common language with people. There were legends about Raphael’s charm even during his lifetime. In his fresco «The School of Athens», which he painted in the Vatican on the order of the Pope (the work was carried out at the same time as Michelangelo’s paintings of the Sistine Chapel), Raphael depicted many contemporaries in the image of ancient philosophers and scientists (you can see Michelangelo, Leonardo, Bramante). Raphael did not miss himself, giving his facial features to Apelles. You may ask: who is this? Apelles is an ancient Greek artist and friend of Alexander the Great. Apelles was one of the best artists of his time. So it is impossible to deny Raphael «modesty».
Jan van Eyck is an unsurpassed master. His works impress with their precision and multifacing. And his love for multifacing can be traced on the example of the Portrait of the Arnolfini couple. A mirror hangs on the wall behind the couple, which shows two male figures entering the room. One of these figures reflected in the mirror is the artist himself. Above the mirror, on the wall, there is a beautiful calligraphic inscription: «Here was Jan van Eyck». A modest signature of the author of the picture, you can’t say anything.
Above we have already talked about Caravaggio and his hidden self-portrait. The image of the artist in the image of Bacchus is significantly different. After all, this is an earlier work, written before the artist’s serious illness. Here Caravaggio’s appearance perfectly suits the God of winemaking.
Sandro Botticelli is one of the most famous artists of the Renaissance. His life path is connected with the history of Florence like no other. He worked for the Medici family, and then came under the influence of the monk Savonarola. His work «The Adoration of the Magi» was written in 1475, and among the many figures depicted in the painting, you can see the face of the artist in the form of a young man in an ocher mantle in the right corner of the painting.
Paolo Veronese is a favorite student of the great Titian, one of the best artists of the Venetian school of painting. Veronese is a master of monumental paintings. «Wedding at Cana» measures 6.6×9.9 meters. The plot tells the biblical story of how Jesus turned water into wine during a wedding celebration. But in Veronese’s painting, it is difficult to see the gospel plot. All 130 characters are dressed in Venetian fashion. Charles V, Francis I and Suleiman the Great can be seen among the guests. And in the image of one of the musicians, you can recognize the author of the canvas himself – Paolo Veronese.
Rembrandt is the author of almost the largest number of self-portraits among artists of all time. But in addition to obvious self-portraits, his image can also be found in a picture of the biblical story about the prodigal son. Here the artist clearly departs from traditional iconography. Instead of the scene of the return of the prodigal son and his repentance, Rembrandt depicts a scene in a tavern where the hero is having fun and does not even think about returning. In addition to his own self-portrait, the artist’s wife Saskia is also depicted on this canvas.
Oleksandra Ekster is an amazon of the Ukrainian avant-garde, in her creative path she was fascinated by several areas of art. A bright work of the Kyiv artist is «Three Female Figures», which depicts the artist and her two close friends Yevheniia Prybylska and Nataliia Davydova. Oleksandra depicted all three figures without faces. She separated herself from her friends with a bright image of a red dress and a hat with a wide brim.
Artemisia Gentileschi is a woman who destroys all stereotypes about women. She was born in the family of a famous artist, learned to draw from her father, endured violence, defended her rights in court, and made a career as a court artist. Her work belongs to Caravaggism (after the name of Caravaggio, which we talked about above). Artemisia writes many of her self-portraits in the images of various historical figures. Perhaps the most vivid is her image of the Jewish woman Judith, who, according to the biblical story, killed the enemy of her people, Holofernes. For Artemisia, who suffered violence at a very young age, the scenes of a strong woman dominating an abusive man will be especially important.
Diego Velázquez is one of the best Spanish painters, and his painting «Las Meninas» («The Ladies-in-waiting») is one of the most famous in the world. It depicts the Family of Philip IV. In the center of the painting is the little Infanta Margarita, in the mirror – Philip IV with his wife (this artistic technique with the mirror is most likely borrowed from Jan van Eyck), and in front of the large canvas stands Velázquez himself, who paints what seems to be a royal family. The artist holds a palette and brushes in his hands. The emblem on his chest was painted by the artist two years after the painting was finished. This happened in 1658, when he was accepted as a Knight of the Order of Santiago.
You can learn more about the artists, their portraits and self-portraits at the lectures in the «Lihtaryk» art studio, and you can try yourself as an artist and find another place where to go in Kyiv at the master classes in the cozy Kyiv studio. Make an original gift – order our gift certificate for creative master classes and art lectures.
У меня синдром Стендаля сегодня. Утром ходили в Падуанский баптистерий. Смотрели фрески Менабуя. А после обеда у нас было посещение каппелы Скровеньи. Теперь я понимаю , что сделал Джотто для мира. Очень меня все это впечатлило в живую. Привет передала.
Мир прекрасен. Падуя очень понравилась:) спасибо за лекции Света!
Lily Golovchak
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