In this broad cultural survey of self-portraiture, art historian and critic James Hall 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. His vivid account shows how artists' depictions of themselves have been part of a continuing tradition that reaches back for centuries. Along the way he reveals the importance of the medieval 'mirror craze'; the explosion of the genre during the Renaissance; the confessional self-portraits of Titian and Michelangelo; the role of biography for serial self-portraitists such as Courbet and van Gogh; themes of sex and genius in works by Munch, Bonnard and Modersohn-Becker; and the latest developments of the genre in the era of globalization
The full range of self-portraits is covered here, from comic and caricature self-portraits to 'invented' or imaginary ones, as well as key collections of self-portraiture such as that of the Medici in Florence. Throughout, Hall asks why - and when - artists have chosen to make self-portraits, and looks deeply into the worlds and mindsets of the artists who have created them. Comprehensive and beautifully illustrated, the book features the work of a wide range of artists including Alberti, Caravaggio, Courbet, Durer, Emin, Gauguin, Giotto, Goya, Kahlo, Koons, Magritte, Mantegna, Picasso, Raphael, Rembrandt and Warhol. Offering a rich and lively history, The Self-Portrait is an essential read for all those interested in this most enduringly popular and humane of art forms.
Industry Reviews
'Wide-ranging, richly researched and evocatively illustrated ... It is as varied, revelatory and idiosyncratic as the genre which it takes as its subject' - The Times
'Fascinating, erudite and beautifully produced' - Sunday Times
'Enthralling ... Scattering insights on all sides, Hall's narrative advances through the centuries with masterly vigour' - Observer
'Stimulating ... Hall writes with energetic freshness ... a highly engaged book that raises many questions about this intriguing and still-active genre. It deserves to be widely read' - Literary Review
'Spirited ... the book's readability and the depth of research give it an engaging pace that makes it especially refreshing' - The Art Newspaper
'There is never a dull passage in this book ... Hall manages to retain the intellectual high ground while writing with verve and enthusiasm ' - Frances Spalding, Guardian
