Self Portraiture - Reflection and Understanding of Self


Jan van Eyck, Self Portrait, Oil/Panel, 1433

What did a person look like before mirrors, and how did a person know what they looked like at all? Of course, someone could gaze into water, use polished metal of various colors, or highly polished wooden surfaces. Yet for centuries, "mirrors" were small, uncommon, and reflected images with different qualities compared to the mirrors we use today. Within this context, how influential are artists in helping us understand who we are?

In western art, the earliest example of a self portrait in oil on a wooden panel is attributed to Jan van Eyck, 1433. Why didn't western artists paint themselves with regularity before 1433? Is self portraiture more common to a particular region or culture, then or now? What are the historical circumstances related to the rise of self portraiture?

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