Gold, glass, and marble dazzle the eye in this 6th-century church. High above us, Emperor Justinian presides. San Vitale and the Justinian Mosaic by Dr. Allen Farber
Everything seems so perfect... Hang on, what’s that in the foreground? And why is that lute string broken? The carpet and the globe: Holbein’s The ... by Dr. Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank
Artificial? Moi? This genuine portrait of familial affection challenged assumptions about the aristocracy. Vigée Le Brun, Self-Portrait with her Daughter by Dr. Ingrid E. Mida
The subjects appear quiet and austere, yet Hals’s expressive use of paint animates this group portrait. Frans Hals, The Women Regents by Olivia Nicole Miller
Ancient Egyptians made little use of naturalistic portraits, but this changed following capture by Rome. Egyptian mummy portraits by The British Museum
These self-portraits were swapped like friendship bracelets among Gauguin, Bernard, and their buddy Van Gogh. Gauguin, Self-Portrait with Portrait of Émile Bernard ... by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker
Does a portrait need to be an accurate visual representation of the subject? Marsden Hartley, Portrait of a German Officer by Dr. Bryan Zygmont
Female painters were rare in sixteenth-century Italy. In self-portraits, Sofonisba made sure to appear virtuous. Sofonisba Anguissola by Dr. Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank
What couldn’t Peale do? He is shown as he saw himself: portraitist, naturalist, curator, and Enlightenment thinker. Charles Willson Peale, The Artist in His ... by Dr. Bryan Zygmont
Napoleon’s sister courted controversy and posed semi-nude for Canova, who sculpted her as a modern-day Venus. Antonio Canova, Paolina Borghese as Venus Victorious by Ben Pollitt
This idealized portrait celebrates Republican ideals and memorializes a Revolutionary martyr in the pose of Christ. Jacques-Louis David, The Death of Marat by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker
She fled France in disguise, but Vigée Le Brun does little to conceal her face—or her sympathy to Marie Antoinette. Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, Self-Portrait by Dr. April Renée Lynch
It takes talent to turn an ordinary object into a work of art, but Dürer’s hand was up to the task. Albrecht Dürer, Self-portrait, Study of a Hand ... by The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Professional female artists were few in the Dutch Republic. Here, Leyster cultivates confidence in her abilities. Judith Leyster, Self-Portrait by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker
With honesty and directness, Rembrandt paints a “selfie.” His marked face captures aging—and the painting process. Rembrandt, Self-Portrait (1659) by Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris
“As I can.” On the frame to this portrait, the painter humblebrags—and establishes his place in history. Jan van Eyck, Portrait of a Man ... by Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris
Dürer holds nothing back in this frontal portrait. By taking Christ’s pose, he conflates artist and creator. Albrecht Dürer, Self-Portrait (1500) by Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris
What a show-off! Hoping to win a papal commission, the confident young painter foregrounds his hand—and his skill. Parmigianino, Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker
What a catch! Henry VIII reportedly kissed this likeness of Christina, but their marriage was not to be. Hans Holbein the Younger, Christina of Denmark, Duchess ... by Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris
“Everything is illusory and death comes for us all!” proclaims this cheerful self-portrait. Arnold Böcklin, Self-Portrait with Death Playing the Fiddle by Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris