{"id":21602,"date":"2024-07-24T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-07-24T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/areademo.beculture.it\/?p=21602"},"modified":"2024-07-14T18:59:25","modified_gmt":"2024-07-14T16:59:25","slug":"self-portrait-in-the-renaissance-origin-and-examples","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/areademo.beculture.it\/en\/self-portrait-in-the-renaissance-origin-and-examples\/","title":{"rendered":"Through the artist\u2019s eyes: the self-portrait in the Renaissance"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Today, we highly value the self-portrait and almost take its existence for granted, but this was not always the case. Like other genres, it has evolved over time. The seeds of this particular artistic category were sown during the Renaissance, an era of great cultural renewal that brought the self-portrait into the limelight<\/strong> in new forms that are still admired today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before the Renaissance: the self-portrait in the Middle Ages<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Information on the self-portrait in classical antiquity is scarce, underscoring its limited role. The discussion of self-portraits begins in the Middle Ages, particularly within monasteries and convents, where both lay and religious scribes and miniaturists created the earliest examples of self-portraits<\/strong>. These self-portraits often carried symbolic elements and hidden meanings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the most intriguing examples is the self-portrait by the Bohemian painter Hildebertus, created in the 12th <\/sup>century within a copy of Citt\u00e0 di Dio<\/em> by Sant\u2019Agostino. The artist depicts himself in a domestic setting, seated cross-legged in front of a lectern supported by a lion, with an open book on top. Below him, his assistant Everwinus (identifiable by an inscription) is hard at work. Behind Hildebertus, a table with a running mouse<\/strong> knocks over a roasted chicken. Hildebertus is poised to throw a stone at the animal. The Latin inscription in the book reads: “Damned mouse, that often disturbs me!” This bizarre scene is actually a tribute to the artist’s work, which, like Sant\u2019Agostino, continues its activities despite distractions.
These allegorical rather than realistic self-portraits are far removed from the authentic portrayal of the artist’s face that began in the 15th<\/sup> century with renowned names.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Autoritratto
Autoritratto<\/em>, Hildebertus<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Renaissance and the spread of the self-portrait<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The first individual painted self-portrait<\/strong> is likely the Uomo col turbante<\/em> by Jan van Eyck from 1433 (often credited with the invention of oil painting<\/a>), now in the National Gallery in London. This work without patrons, possibly created to pass his image to his heirs, is not his only self-portrait. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Uomo
Uomo col turbante<\/em>, Jan van Eyck<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The following year, he painted the famous Arnolfini portrait, where he is thought to appear among the men reflected in the convex mirror<\/strong> at the center of the painting.
The mirror, often made of polished metal, was known in medieval times for their symbolic value as tools for inner and mystical investigation rather than physical reflection and were already used in art to better direct light.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Coniugi
Coniugi Arnolfini<\/em>, Jan Van Eyck<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It was Leon Battista Alberti<\/strong> who definitively legitimized the mirror as a fundamental tool for painters, establishing the self-portrait as a distinct genre<\/strong>. In his 15th<\/sup> century treatise Sulla Pittura<\/em>, Alberti recommended using a mirror to correct nature’s flaws before painting. This applied equally to the artist’s face, which, reflected in the mirror, became a legitimate subject of observation and painting<\/strong>.
Moreover, in the preface to the vernacular edition of his writing (1436), Alberti refers to Lorenzo Ghiberti<\/strong>, many of whose self-portraits were sculptures.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"porta
Porta del Paradiso<\/em>, Lorenzo Ghiberti<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ghiberti, known for the bronze doors of the Battistero of the Duomo in Florence (a commission that sparked a fierce rivalry<\/a> with Filippo Brunelleschi), included his own self-portrait<\/strong> in both sets of doors.\u00a0
The two heads, executed about twenty years apart (the first around 1420 and the second in 1447-48), can be seen in the frames of the doors, sharing the same facial expression and downward gaze towards onlookers. Despite aging, Ghiberti maintains an austere and authoritative air, confident in his abilities, as the inscription on the second door attests: \u201cLorenzo di Cione di Ghiberti made this with marvelous art.\u201d This self-portrait precedes the trend of artists depicting themselves as heroic figures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The artist as hero and the child prodigy myth<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Self-congratulation and self-celebration characterize many self-portraits by Andrea Mantegna<\/strong>, particularly the bronze bust he created for his new home at the end of the 15th<\/sup> century, later used to adorn his funerary chapel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"autoritratto
Autoritratto<\/em>, Andrea Mantegna<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

However, they pale in comparison to the evident satisfaction of Albrecht D\u00fcrer<\/strong>, who created 16 self-portraits, often marked with the monogram “AD”. D\u00fcrer presents himself as the epitome of Northern beauty<\/strong> and taste, seen in his sumptuous attire, meticulous details, and especially his fine, golden curls. These are meticulously depicted in the three-quarter portrait of 1498 (Prado, Madrid) and the frontal portrait of 1500 (Alte Pinakothek, Munich) with the inscription: \u201cI, Albrecht D\u00fcrer of Nuremberg, painted myself with eternal colors at the age of twenty-eight.\u201d D\u00fcrer was clearly accustomed to his image, as his first self-portrait – a silverpoint drawing – dates back to 1484, when he was only 12 years old (although historians titled it Autoritratto all\u2019et\u00e0 di tredici anni<\/em>, now at the Graphische Sammlung Albertina, Vienna). An age that may seem early for a self-portrait today, but which can be explained by a common attitude of the period: that of the child prodigy<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"autoritratto
Autoritratto<\/em>, Albrecht Du\u0308rer,<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The prodigy theme, cherished in classical antiquity and revived during the Renaissance, became prevalent among artists who often boasted of premature talent in their works and autobiographies, claiming an innate ability rather than learned skill. Michelangelo<\/a>, for instance, in his later years, declared his disdain for his master Ghirlandaio, claiming to have learned nothing from him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In contrast to the youthful genius model, il Diletto Giovane<\/em>, where the disciple offers beauty and the master wisdom, exemplifies mutual recognition. Autoritratto<\/em> by Raffaello<\/a> (1506, Uffizi) and l’Autoritratto in uno specchio convesso <\/em>by Parmigianino<\/strong> (c. 1524, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna) are prime examples. In Raffaello’s work, the famously handsome artist portrays himself with delicate features, shaving off a few years from his real age. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"autoritratto
Autoritratto<\/em>, Raffaello<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Similarly, in Parmigianino’s work, despite being twenty-one, he represents himself as a beardless youth. The curved shape of the panel, affecting the background but not the artist’s face, fascinated contemporaries. The left hand, adorned with rings, symbolizes a platonic offering to the patron, Pope Giulio de\u2019 Medici. Vasari dedicates the longest description in his Vite<\/em>to this portrait, second only to Monna Lisa<\/em> by Leonardo<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"autoritratto
Autoritratto entro uno specchio convesso<\/em>, Parmigianino<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The fall of the hero: irreverent self-portraits<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In stark contrast, anti-heroic, even grotesque self-portraits developed during the same period, maintaining popularity. These portray the subject not at their peak but in old age or spiritual misery. Michelangelo\u2019s self-portrait<\/strong> as a deflated body in the Giudizio Universale<\/em> of the Cappella Sistina a lifeless skin held by San Bartolomeo, reflects this trend. Michelangelo’s writings reveal the immense effort required to complete the Sistina frescoes, possibly mirroring his physical exhaustion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"giudizio
Giudizio Universale<\/em>, Michelangelo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Tiziano Vecellio<\/strong><\/a> only began self-portraits in his later years<\/strong>, possibly aging his appearance for allegorical reasons (realism of a body soon to be abandoned by the soul) or practical purposes. Known for his greed, Tiziano\u2019s constant references to impending death in letters to patrons could have been a tactic to prompt quick payments.<\/p>\n\n\n