The Craziest Self-Portraits of all Time
For one reason or another, self-portraits are massively popular in the world of art. There are many possible explanations for this. For obvious reasons, most people are deeply interested in themselves, and self-portraits eliminate the need for a willing and cooperative model. However, the genre of the self-portrait also offers unique opportunities for experimentation and introspection that are unavailable in other forms of art.
That being said, some self-portraits are just plain weird and crazy. So, today I’m going to share some of the most unusual self-portraits I could find. Let’s dive in!
The Desperate Man by Gustave Courbet - I have to be honest, this self-portrait holds a sort of panache that is almost unparalleled in art history. The Desperate Man captures the artist Gustave Courbet at the tender age of twenty-four. The self-portrait portrays Courbet in a moment of emotional turmoil. The artist stares wildly out at the viewer as he runs his fingers through his hair. His shirt billows open, as if blown by an invisible wind. Although the piece is executed in a style typically associated with the Romantic movement, Courbet himself adhered strictly to the Realist style. Therefore, the painting can be read as a true and honest expression of Courbet’s emotional state at the time (clearly, he was having a bad week).
My Birth by Frida Kahlo - I’m a fan of Frida Kahlo. I really am. However, the only word I can use to describe this self-portrait is “weird.” I’m not even saying it’s bad weird, it’s just a really strange, out-there piece of art. During the 1930s, Kahlo’s husband, Diego Rivera, encouraged her to paint a series of paintings that captured important moments in her life. As part of this series, Kahlo painted her own birth. Here, we see an adult Kahlo emerging from the body of an anonymous mother, who is swathed in white sheets. Some art historians have speculated that the mother is also a self-portrait, making the piece a painting of Kahlo giving birth to herself, which is both wonderfully profound and deeply creative. Madonna—of all people—owns this painting and is famously obsessed with it. “If somebody doesn’t like this painting,” Madonna once said in an interview, “then I know they can’t be my friend.”
Soft Self-Portrait with Fried Bacon by Salvador Dalí - Salvador Dalí’s art is famously eccentric (I mean, we are talking about a man who once attended an art show in a scuba suit and almost suffocated). However, I think his Soft Self-Portrait with Fried Bacon really takes the cake (or the bacon, as it may be). According to my research, Dalí created this piece as an "anti-psychological" self-portrait. Instead of approaching the self-portrait as a way to explore the inner-self, Dalí painted only his outer self, the false mask that each individual presents to the world. The painting emphasizes the separation that exists between the outer and inner self. He chooses to conceal this latter part of himself from the public, offering only his empty skin and gaping eye-sockets. On the other hand, I have no idea what the bacon is supposed to symbolize.
David with the Head of Goliath by Caravaggio - I often wonder what possesses someone to paint themselves as the decapitated head of a monster. Well, often might be a stretch; but I definitely consider it every time I look at Caravaggio’s David with the Head of Goliath. The painting depicts the Biblical story of David and Goliath, in which the young David miraculously killed the giant Goliath in single combat. Caravaggio probably used his studio assistant, Cecco del Caravaggio, as a model for David, while a self-portrait of Caravaggio himself can be seen in Goliath’s severed head. Why exactly Caravaggio decided to do this is unclear, but I would guess that it was probably some kind of inside joke. Caravaggio was a rather edgy, hard-boiled individual with a penchant for dueling, so I can easily imagine that he would get a kick out of painting himself as a severed head.
The Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo - Practically everyone in the Western world is familiar with Michelangelo’s frescoes for the Sistine Chapel. These paintings are among the most important in the story of Western art and are considered cornerstones of the Renaissance movement. However, what few people know is that the Sistine Chapel frescoes actually contain a rather strange self-portrait of Michelangelo. In the Last Judgment fresco on the altar wall, Michelangelo included a hidden self-portrait in the flayed skin of Saint Bartholomew. Why exactly he chose to do this is unclear, but one suspects the decision did not reflect positive feelings.
That being said, some self-portraits are just plain weird and crazy. So, today I’m going to share some of the most unusual self-portraits I could find. Let’s dive in!
The Desperate Man by Gustave Courbet - I have to be honest, this self-portrait holds a sort of panache that is almost unparalleled in art history. The Desperate Man captures the artist Gustave Courbet at the tender age of twenty-four. The self-portrait portrays Courbet in a moment of emotional turmoil. The artist stares wildly out at the viewer as he runs his fingers through his hair. His shirt billows open, as if blown by an invisible wind. Although the piece is executed in a style typically associated with the Romantic movement, Courbet himself adhered strictly to the Realist style. Therefore, the painting can be read as a true and honest expression of Courbet’s emotional state at the time (clearly, he was having a bad week).
 |
| The Desperate Man Source: Wikimedia Commons |
My Birth by Frida Kahlo - I’m a fan of Frida Kahlo. I really am. However, the only word I can use to describe this self-portrait is “weird.” I’m not even saying it’s bad weird, it’s just a really strange, out-there piece of art. During the 1930s, Kahlo’s husband, Diego Rivera, encouraged her to paint a series of paintings that captured important moments in her life. As part of this series, Kahlo painted her own birth. Here, we see an adult Kahlo emerging from the body of an anonymous mother, who is swathed in white sheets. Some art historians have speculated that the mother is also a self-portrait, making the piece a painting of Kahlo giving birth to herself, which is both wonderfully profound and deeply creative. Madonna—of all people—owns this painting and is famously obsessed with it. “If somebody doesn’t like this painting,” Madonna once said in an interview, “then I know they can’t be my friend.”
 |
| My Birth Source: fridakahlo.org |
Soft Self-Portrait with Fried Bacon by Salvador Dalí - Salvador Dalí’s art is famously eccentric (I mean, we are talking about a man who once attended an art show in a scuba suit and almost suffocated). However, I think his Soft Self-Portrait with Fried Bacon really takes the cake (or the bacon, as it may be). According to my research, Dalí created this piece as an "anti-psychological" self-portrait. Instead of approaching the self-portrait as a way to explore the inner-self, Dalí painted only his outer self, the false mask that each individual presents to the world. The painting emphasizes the separation that exists between the outer and inner self. He chooses to conceal this latter part of himself from the public, offering only his empty skin and gaping eye-sockets. On the other hand, I have no idea what the bacon is supposed to symbolize.
 |
| Soft Self-Portrait with Fried Bacon Source: dalipaintings.com |
David with the Head of Goliath by Caravaggio - I often wonder what possesses someone to paint themselves as the decapitated head of a monster. Well, often might be a stretch; but I definitely consider it every time I look at Caravaggio’s David with the Head of Goliath. The painting depicts the Biblical story of David and Goliath, in which the young David miraculously killed the giant Goliath in single combat. Caravaggio probably used his studio assistant, Cecco del Caravaggio, as a model for David, while a self-portrait of Caravaggio himself can be seen in Goliath’s severed head. Why exactly Caravaggio decided to do this is unclear, but I would guess that it was probably some kind of inside joke. Caravaggio was a rather edgy, hard-boiled individual with a penchant for dueling, so I can easily imagine that he would get a kick out of painting himself as a severed head.
 |
| David with the Head of Goliath Source: Wikimedia Commons |
 |
| Detail of The Last Judgement with Self-Portrait as Saint Bartholomew Source: Wikimedia Commons |
 |
| The Last Judgement Source: Wikimedia Commons |
Comments
Post a Comment