The Self-Portrait: A Cultural History

by James Hall

This broad cultural history of self-portraiture brilliantly maps the history of the genre, from the earliest myths of Narcissus and the Christian tradition of "bearing witness" to the prolific self-image-making of today's contemporary artists. Focusing on a perennially popular subject, the book tells the vivid history of works that offer insights into artists' personal, psychological, and creative worlds. Topics include the importance of the medieval mirror craze in early self-portraiture; the confessional self-portraits of Titian and Michelangelo; the mystique of the artist's studio, from Vermeer to Velazquez; the role of biography and geography for serial self-portraitists such as Courbet and Van Gogh; the multiple selves of modern and contemporary artists such as Cahun and Sherman; and recent developments in the era of globalization. Comprehensive and beautifully illustrated, the book features the work of a wide range of artists including Beckmann, Caravaggio, Durer, Gentileschi, Ghiberti, Giotto, Goya, Kahlo, Kauffman, Magritte, Mantegna, Picasso, Poussin, Raphael, Rembrandt and Van Eyck. The full range of the subject is explored, including comic and caricature self-portraits, "invented" or imaginary self-portraits, and important collections of self-portraiture such as that of the Medici.

Genres: Art, Art History, History, Nonfiction, Biography

288 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2014

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
See this thread for more information.

James Hall is a freelance art critic and historian. A former art critic for the Guardian.

Reviews

[Kalliope · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought you would like to see my Self-Portrait. You will have to concede that it is more revealing than my ordinary avatar, for it displays my soul. For not only are my appearances presented but that much more elusive and private aspect: the image I have of myself. Yes, I am very proud of that blue, and wish to enhance it, in case you had not noticed it. The somewhat different angle, orientation and the inversion will unfurl a distinctive essence that I hope will inebriate you. My self made image is also so much closer to you, but don’t mistake yourself for I continue to deny you the access up those stairs. I need to to distinguish myself and keep our distances… But don’t begrudge me…

You may even think that this is more of a mask and that I am hiding my true identity behind it. But even then you would have to admit that the choice of the mask unveils what wants to lurk behind this disguising shield.

Gosh, I admire that blue. I can’t get over it and I hope it will mesmerize you so that you will not forget me. For my ascent is towards immortality. For even when I disappear, this Alter-Ego of mine will remain, and posterity will continually welcome me as their contemporary.

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Well, now that I have presented myself let me continue with my review of this excellent read.

James Hall has set himself the difficult task to trace the history of the Self-Portrait. My own introduction served not only to captivate your mind with Me, but also to bring to the fore some of the aspects that Self-Portrait entails.

Hall has followed history and with each step in time a different facet is brought under view. He starts looking at Antiquity but does not find much, partly because so much is lost and he does not feel confortable in locating the starting point. Although there is an exception to this if we were to believe the legend of Saint Veronica and Christ’s first ‘Selfie’. But if we leave legends aside, then we can concede with Hall that it is in the Middle Ages, in the illuminated books from a monastic context that fascinating samples have survived. Although Hall somewhat questions the importance of mirrors for the rise of the genre, mirrors were metaphors of ‘wisdom’ of the world, of the self and of divinity. Medieval arte was conceptual and not too interested in sensorial aspects; our senses often lie and deviate us from the path of truth.

And why does he think the role of mirrors is somewhat of a myth? Because the earlier ones--out of polished metal-- were unsatisfactory and the flat ones—made out of glass-- were very small for a long time. Convex mirrors however were much appreciated but more for their technical assistance to the art and science of vision than for spitting back your own reflection. But if mirrors were such fascinating objects for their magical associations, soon they also offered to the artist part of their charm. Artists began to play a mystical role.

As time unfolds under Hall’s pen and as the Renaissance and the birth of the individual arrive, the individuality of the artist, his persona, his role in society, his looks now present themselves. The craftsman becomes a sort of mesmerizing hero around 1490, and with this phenomenon, its mirror image, the mocked hero is also born. No one lasts long in the apex.

Gradually fascination with the self of the artist extended to his/her studio--that was a self-portrait too. And yes, ‘her’, for we begin to encounter female studios too. The roughness and messiness of artist’s studios was one of the reasons that impeded women to become artists (versus writers or even musicians). That changed during the 17C for it is then that the artist’s studio becomes a shrine. Think of Rembrandt. And Velazquez! … for whom his studio had become the Royal Court, or vice versa. It is during this same century also when rich collections of only Self-portraits begin to be assembled.

As time unfolds, artists and their view of their selves become more complicated. It is all so much more existential; there is so much more pondering, and navel gazing, that the varieties and possibilities of the genre just multiply themselves almost exponentially. This limitless growth however also brings with it a constrictive setting. If the studio had become the natural habitat of the artist, the pond for the fish, during the late 19C some artists depicted themselves as disconnected entities. Their surroundings were witnesses to their rootlessness, like Van Gogh’s empty chair.

In this inner exploration, of course, there is also sex to explore, but artists did not display this explicitly until the 20C. When sex became unequivocal on their canvases, their faces also began to disappear…

.. .And now?, you may ask. Well, why don’t you try and estimate how many selfies have been made while you read this review – worldwide.

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This time my illustrations - which do not deal with my Self - are in the updates below.

[Ingrid · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Narcissus – traditionally regarded as a deluded loser – had recently become a model for rooted self-knowledge and contemplation.”

Many great lines throughout this book, Narcissus outright being called a loser included. Very Western focused but the author never set up the text as a /global/ history of self-portraiture so I wasn’t expecting much. Decent coverage of women artists, too

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

James Hall erzählt in seiner Publikation eine chronologisch angelegte Geschichte des Selbstporträts, bei der die von ihm konstituierte Einteilung in thematische Kapitel nur bedingt zu greifen scheint.
Für gelungen halte ich vor allem die früheren Kapitel, in denen der Verfasser dieses Buches einerseits die Anfänge des Selbstporträts anhand von Bild- und Textquellen näher betrachtet als auch mit dem überholten Klischee des "Ich"-losen Mittelalters aufräumt. Besonders hier macht die Auswahl an Selbstbildnissen auf mich einen plausiblen und gewinnbringenden Eindruck. Die unterschiedliche Behandlung des Selbstporträts im Mittelalter stellte Hall unter verschiedenen Blickpunkten fruchtbar dar, besonders auf die humoristischen Momente wusste der Autor hinzuweisen.
Auch auf die schwankende Tendenz zwischen Glorifizierung (simulatio) und Selbstminderung (dissimulatio) in den Selbstporträts der Frühen Neuzeit hinzuweisen vergeudete Hall nicht. Hier bleibt die Auswahl an SBs mit Dürer, Michelangelo und Caravaggio zwar überwiegend kanontreu, was den Argumenten aber nicht zwingend einen Abbruch tut und durch Aufnahme von Sofonisba Anguissola und Artemisia Gentileschi partiell durchbrochen wird.
Allein im letzten Drittel des Buches scheinen die Argumentationsgänge und Oberkapitel für mich nicht mehr so stimmig wie zuvor. Sukzessive dominiert ein empfundener Zwang zum Witz und die Argumente und behandelten Werke scheinen förmlich zwischen den Absätzen hin und her zu springen, wodurch mein Lesefluss im Argen lag. Die letzten 15 Seiten des Buches habe ich nicht mehr gelesen.

[Gunay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't say I fully enjoyed the book. Or probably it is just my expectations. When I bought the book I was waiting something with stories about painters and their self portraits, probably more fictional plot. But the book was a bit more of academical content. There were passages I was fast-reading for the sake of finishing. To be fair, it is quite informative, beautifully illustrated, I could find some of the stories I was looking for. But it was not quite qualifying to 5stars.

[Grzegorz · Rating 3 out of 5]

A frustrating read. The chapters are in chronological order, but each chapter has a theme also. Yet those themes are quite loose and questionably executed. Dürer's hair is discussed in "Artist as a hero", but Rembrandt's hair - in chapter "Artist's studio". Chapter has nothing to say on Rembrandt's studio though.

[Marina Zaia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una lettura appassionante, piena di interpretazioni interessanti e studi approfonditi, finché si arriva al Novecento che per fortuna è marginale nel testo. L'arte contemporanea è trattata con superficialità e si percepiscono implicitamente le opinioni moralistiche dell'autore. Peccato perché per il resto l'ho letto davvero con grande piacere.

[Andrea Samorini · Rating 4 out of 5]

___________________________________
WANT TO READ BOOK:
- L'officina di Rembrandt. L'atelier e il mercato (Svetlana Alpers)

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

This had so much detail that it was work to read. Lots of interesting details, and I should probably read it again.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

the book I have been looking for, on the market and in my mind.

[Analisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before I start this review, I should disclose that I won this book from a giveaway hosted on www.goodreads.com. This in no way altered my opinion of this book and my review will be written as if I had bought this book.

I may have mentioned it before, but I figured I should say it again, I got my bachelor’s degree in art history. So, you can imagine my excitement when I was notified that I won a book all about self-portraits! It has been a few months since I had read a scholarly based art history book, so I was pumped to delve back into this world.

From the very first sentence, this book had me hooked! I found the sentences to be thoughtful and well-crafted, without the typical academic stuffiness. In fact, sometimes I found the writing to be a bit sassy at times, which made it enjoyable to read. It felt like a conversational lecture, instead of the information being thrust upon me.

The examples used were plentiful and varied with excellent descriptions. Although sometimes I felt the author read too much into certain pieces, which art historians sometimes do, (I know I did lol), it was still an interesting take on several key pieces in the history of art. In fact, Hall often compared pieces across time periods, which I thought to be an excellent decision. It showed that humanity has changed drastically, yet not.

I only have a couple of criticisms. There were paragraphs at the end of each chapter that summarized the whole chapter. I found it to be a bit too much like a textbook and unnecessary. Second, the ending felt rushed, as if Hall was trying to fit too much in the final chapter. Another reason this could be possible was that there was no conclusion. It ended abruptly and it was a bit jarring.

Other than those couple things, I loved the book and am giving it 4 stars. I thought it was a great read for anyone who is interested in art history. I hope that Hall continues this project and writes a book on non-Western art because this book was entirely focused on Western art.

[Tawney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book compliments of Thames & Hudson through the Goodreads First Reads program.

The artist's place in, and meaning to, society has changed throughout history and the same is true of self-portraits. James Hall surveys the changes from the Middle Ages to the present day. His structure is to examine ten themes that fall fairly well into a chronological order. This works nicely and helps make sense of the give and take between the artist and his time (and patrons). Each chapter illustrates the theme with works of several artists, some well known and others not. Although not every work Hall describes is illustrated in the book he gets you to really look at those that are. In addition to the illustrations there are many quotes from the artists and their contemporaries that help see things in the light of their own time and place. Hall is scholarly without being dry or condescending. The book is well documented and includes a Select Bibliography of newer sources that are probably possible to find. Thames & Hudson are to be commended for producing a well made book on nice hefty paper to be pulled off the shelf over a period of years.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked 75% of this book. More to do with my dislike of art post-19th Century than the book's fault.

The idea of history traced through self-portraits really intrigued my interest in both history and art history. By using self-portraits, and the lack of self-portraits, it is able to capture how the Artist is perceived within society, as well as how the Artist themselves view what they are doing and the purposes for their Art.

The main takeout is that self portraiture is highly linked to the identification of the idea of the self; the individual. Akin to what Burckhardt referenced in his book, The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy, artists were now viewed for who they were, not just the art they produced. This purposeful want of certain artists spread to the artist, who would now put themselves into the art. Art was no longer just for the Church, it was becoming a way to immortalise oneself.

I definitely recommend this book. Especially if you're in the opinion that history can be read through art.

4/5

[Maya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this as someone new to self-portraits and art history more generally. I learned so much! My book is full of sticky notes. Keep in mind, though, that this is very much a *western* cultural history…the first artist outside of Europe to get a mention is Frida Kahlo, and there are few after her. The last chapter, on modern/contemporary self-portraits, is noticeably rushed (it’s a lot to jam into just one chapter), but I still learned a lot from it. A good book for beginners who are serious about the subject. A number of reviews have called the writing ‘dry’ but I definitely wouldn’t—it’s just more of an academic, rather than casual, read.

[Liam Guilar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-Illustrated, informative, and enjoyable. It covers a huge amount of ground in an intelligent style which contextualises the art without overdoing the background at the expense of the pieces he discusses.

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating look at self portraits through the ages. Nice illustrations.

[Justin Tyner · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was just ok

[Eamonn Barrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting history of portraiture. Very well illustrated.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just skip the last chapter regarding the 20th century.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are really into art history and curious about portraits, you will dig it.

[Jonathan Frederick Walz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was this the best book I ever read? No.
Did I learn some things? Yes.