Nothing was more important to a Roman emperor than his image. Augustus of Primaporta by Julia Fischer
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
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
Tiye was a powerful figure, but her royal life was complicated, as demonstrated through this changing statue. Portrait Head of Queen Tiye by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker
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
Found in an artist’s studio, this stunning bust exemplifies a change in style, and may have been an early prototype. Thutmose, Model Bust of Queen Nefertiti 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
Inside and outside, these panels are suffused with symbolism and the two stark profiles exude formality and power. Piero della Francesca, Portraits of the Duke ... by Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris
Is Schiele’s haunted figure meant to be a famed Austrian artist or Jesus Christ—or both? Egon Schiele, The Hermits by Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris
Sander documented German people from all walks of life, but the goals of his project remain unclear. August Sander, Portraits by Dr. Juliana Kreinik, Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker
Sin Sukju’s attire and posture may be formulaic, but the face is definitely his—wrinkles and all. Portrait of Sin Sukju by Dr. Kristen Loring Brennan
No paint touched those gloves! This portrait advertises Dürer’s skill—both the work of his mind and of his hand. Albrecht Dürer, Self-Portrait (1498) by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker
In her double self-portrait, Kahlo wears both European garb and the Indigenous clothing she grew to prefer. Frida Kahlo, The Two Fridas (Las dos ... by Dr. Doris Maria-Reina Bravo