I am told by the internets that “selfie” has been chosen as the Oxford Dictionaries Word of the Year.
Helpless as I am to swim against the mighty tide of popular culture, I give you a few interesting “selfies” done without benefit of iPhone.
I’ve started with Durer’s remarkable self-portrait at the age of 13 (above, top) along with his Christ-like self-portrait at the height of his powers. I’ve followed up with Rembrandt, both early and later in his career, and included a few more with no particular qualification other than I like them.
As I put this post together, the list quickly grew too large for a single article, so I’ll follow up with more over the next few days.
(Images above: Albrecht Durer (2), Rembrandt van Rijn (2), Elisabeth-Louise Vigée-Lebrun, Vincent van Gogh, Diego Velázquez, Anders Zorn, Cecilia Beaux, Gustave Courbet)
Leave it up to you Charley to not let that get by you for a timely post!
Curse that Durer, doing that at only 13! He was just showing off! (love Durer). Jeez!, or I guess, later… Jeezis!
Just to have a little more fun with this post… artists who look like artists from the past.
Anthony Waichulis (whom I don’t know and have never met) looks a lot like the second Durer, hmmm?
here: http://www.artrenewal.org/pages/artist.php?artistid=6415
And I always thought that Johnny Depp resembled the Courbet portrait.
Makes you wonder?
Just saying… ; )
:) David, I smiled when I read your comment . . . I immediately thought of Johnny Depp when I saw Courbet’s portrait also! Wonder if there is any relation somewhere along the line? :)
Hmmm… time travelers, eh?
Selfies? Kind of an unfortunate choice of word the internet gods have chosen. Love the post Charley.
Hilarious take on the selfie. Things haven’t changed so much after all. I love the Courbet the best.
I love that Rembrandt drawing. A selfie that would look equally at home on any facebook page or in any museum. Ha.
I’m always entertained by how portrait artists clothe themselves in their self-portraits as they supposedly do their work. Somehow I don’t think Vigée-Lebrun dressed like that for a day in her studio!
No. Though I think many portrait artists and court painters may well have dressed in fine clothes while painting for the benefit of their patrons.