Self-Portrait, Yawning (Main View)The J. Paul Getty Museum
From Modernists to Impressionists, these artists loved a good selfie as much as we all do. But without a smartphone handy, they took their snaps in paint. Check out some of the most infamous, and should-be-famous, selfies gone artistic.
Self-Portrait (1988) by Chuck CloseNational Academy of Design
1 Chuck Close
Chuck Close has famously played with portraiture for decades, and eventually turned his eye onto himself with this comically shocked face.
Self Portrait, Chuck Close, 1988 (From the collection of the National Academy of Design)
Self-portrait with Small Monkey, Frida Kahlo, 1945 (From the collection of Museo Dolores Olmedo)
Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror (1523/1524) by Francesco Mazzola, called ParmigianinoKunsthistorisches Museum Wien
Parmigianino
He may sound like a cheese, but this artist’s work was anything but cheesy. His intriguing fisheye lens perspective was remarkably ahead of his time and added a touch of humor.
Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror, 1523/1524 (From the collection of Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien)
Self-Portrait with Straw Hat (March 1887 - June 1887) by Vincent van GoghVan Gogh Museum
Vincent Van Gogh
Maybe the most famous of the bunch for his self-portraits, but it’s worth noting that Van Gogh showed his many sides, though never the earless one.
Self-portrait with straw hat, Vincent Van Gogh, March 1887-June 1887 (From the collection of the Van Gogh Museum)
Self-portrait, Diego Rivera, 1954 (From the collection of Museo Dolores Olmedo)
Self portrait (1932) by Nora HeysenArt Gallery of New South Wales
Nora Heysen
Nora’s portrait helped her emerge from the shadow of her artist dad, and playfully referenced Vermeer’s style, giving that classic European style her own confident twist as a female artist.
Self portrait, Nora Heysen, 1932 (From the collection of the Art Gallery of New South Wales)
Self-portrait as David with the head of Goliath (1756) by Johan ZoffanyNational Gallery of Victoria
Johann Zoffany
Johann’s old school selfie showed him as David slaying Goliath. It was a pretty bold self-confident move, and one that played up his youthful beauty a little braggingly.
Self-portrait as David with the head of Goliath, Johan Zoffany, 1756 (From the collection of National Gallery of Victoria)
Self-Portrait (1951) by Ivan Le Lorraine AlbrightNational Academy of Design
Ivan Albright
Albright’s self-portrait was a labor of love - it took him over six years to finish it. Like Diego, he was a man of so little ego, he showed every wrinkle and wild hair on his face.
Self-Portrait, Ivan Albright, 1951 (From the collection of National Academy of Design)
Self-Portrait (1917) by Alice BaillyNational Museum of Women in the Arts
Alice Bailly
Alice amusingly played with the Dada movement when she decided to turn her brush on herself. It’s a playful take, emphasizing parts of her body while playing peekaboo with one half of her face.
Self-Portrait, Alice Bailly, 1917 (From the collection of National Museum of Women in the Arts)
Self-Portrait (1895) by Edvard MunchThe Munch Museum, Oslo
Edvard Munch
Munch's striking piece shows his face honestly against the inky backdrop and weaves in a reference to mortality with the skeleton arm draped across the bottom of the frame. Talk about a chillingly stylish portrait.
Self-Portrait, Edvard Munch, 1895 (From the collection of the Munch Museum, Oslo)
