Frank Hurley's 35-millimetre motion picture camera (About 1922) by Andre DebrieNational Museum of Australia
Many artists prefer to stay behind the canvas or camera, but these eminent artists didn't shy away from portraiture. Scroll to see painted portraits side-by-side with photographs.
Self-Portrait (1876) by Pierre-Auguste RenoirHarvard Art Museums
Pierre-Auguste Renoir
Pierre-Auguste Renoir was a celebrated painter who lived from 1841 to 1919. In 1876, the French Impressionist captured himself in oil surrounded by hazy, overlapping brushstrokes. This piece hangs in the Harvard Art Museum.
LIFE Photo Collection
During his later years, Renoir became stricken with arthritis, but continued to paint. He's shown painting outdoors here with a brush tied to his hand. This photograph is part of the LIFE Photo Collection
Marxism Will Give Health to the Ill (1954) by Frida KahloMuseo Frida Kahlo
Frida Kahlo
One of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo's most frequent subjects was herself. This 1954 piece, Marxism Will Give Health to the Ill, appears at the Museo Frida Kahlo in Coyoacán, Mexico.
Frida Kahlo (ca. 1940, printed 1984) by Bernard SilbersteinCincinnati Art Museum
This photo by Bernard Silberstein was taken around 1940. Kahlo is seated in front of a plain backdrop, adorned in traditional garments and a headdress of bougainvillea and white rose. Both this photo and the previous painting appear courtesy of the Museo Frida Kahlo.
Frieda and Diego Rivera (1931) by Frida KahloSan Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA)
Diego Rivera
In 1931, Kahlo also painted herself alongside her husband, Diego Rivera. A celebrated painter in his own right, Rivera was renowned for large, colorful frescoes. This piece currently resides at the San Francisco MOMA.
Diego Rivera with a xoloitzcuintle dog in the Blue House, Coyoacan by UnknownMuseo Frida Kahlo
This photograph of Diego Rivera shows the artist seated next to one of the beloved dogs who lived at La Casa Azul with Kahlo and Rivera. This picture also appears courtesy of the Museo Frida Kahlo.
Autorretrato (Self Portrait) (1930) by Diego RiveraInter-American Development Bank
Rivera sketched this self-portrait in 1930. Scroll back and forth to compare the likenesses by the Mexican masters.
