Artists began creating self-portraits in the 15th century to depict themselves as subjects or important characters in their work. With more accessible mirrors, many painters, sculptors, and printmakers experimented with self-portraiture. Albrecht Dürer was one of the first to systematically create self-portraits at different ages over his lifetime, establishing self-portraiture as an artistic genre. Since then, many other notable artists like Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Frida Kahlo, and Lucian Freud have also used self-portraiture to represent themselves at various stages of their lives.

2. • A self-portrait is a
representation of
an artist, drawn,
painted,
photographed, or
sculpted by the
artist.

3. • In the 15th century,
artists first started
frequently depicting
themselves as either
the main subject, or
as important
characters in their
One of the earliest self-portraits ever
work. made: Man with Turban by Jan Van
Eyck, 1433

4. • With better and
cheaper mirrors,
many painters,
sculptors and
printmakers tried
some form of self-
portraiture.

5. • Durer was one
of the first
artists to
systematically
do self
portraits over
the course of
his life
Albrecht Durer – Self-
Portrait Age 13, 1484

6. Albrecht Durer – Self-
Portrait with Pillow
Age 20, 1491

7. Albrecht Durer – Self-
Portrait
Age 22, 1493

8. Albrecht Durer – Self-
Portrait Age 28, 1500

9. Age 23 Age 23 Age 28
Age 54 Age 55 Age 63
Rembrandt did the same a century and a half later…

10. Lorenzo Ghiberti – Self
Portrait on Baptistry Doors
Age 20, 1484

13. Artemisia
Gentileschi

14. Judith Leyster

15. Da Vinci – Study for an Angel
(not a self portrait
obviously)
This is him…

16. El Greco

17. Van Gogh

18. Kikuchi Yosai,
1856

19. Yan Pei-Ming,
2000

20. Robert Arneson
– Chemo Self-
Portrait, 1992

21. Robert Arneson –
California Artist

22. Brian Castellani

23. Chuck Close

28. Pulp Paper
Portrait

29. Cindy Sherman

30. Egon Schiele

31. Egon Schiele

32. Francis Bacon

33. Francis Bacon

34. Francis Bacon

35. Henri Rousseau

36. Frida Kahlo

37. Frida Kahlo

38. Lucien Freud –
Reflection (Self-
Portrait)

39. Max Beckman

40. Elizabeth Peyton

41. Jenny Saville