Instantly Iconic: 10 Unique Self Portraits

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.

1 Chuck Close

Chuck Close has famously played with portraiture for decades, and eventually turned his eye onto himself with this comically shocked face.

Frida Kahlo

Frida was an expert selfie taker, and her inclusion of animals whisked in a sense of whimsy. (They’ve been said to represent the kids she didn’t have with Diego Rivera)

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.

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.

Diego Rivera

Rivera’s anything but serious. He even called himself “the Great Señor Frog-Toad”, playing up his bugged eyes in this picture he gave to his daughter, Ruth.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.