Frida Kahlo – The Self Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird, 1940

Kahlo created around 150 paintings within her life, most of which were self portraits. She said that she painted herself most as she was the subject that she was most familiar with, as she spent much of her time on her own.

The Self Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird was created right after she got divorced. In Mexican culture, a hummingbird signifies good luck, and the black cat in the painting is ready to pounce on it.
Many believe that Kahlo wishes to portray the wish of love in a dark time in her life.

I find this painting beautiful, and it’s made all the more moving by her motives behind it. It’s clear that Kahlo is using her painting to tell a story, or to project her feelings of loss and sadness. The colours within are bold and beautiful, as are the subjects that are painted. Her use of tone is subtle but clear. She doesn’t exaggerate tone within her paintings, but you definitely notice it. Often, Kahlo paints herself facing forward, and always seems to add vibrantly coloured leaves and flowers that contrast beautifully against her skin and hair colour. Her work always looks extremely exotic and strikingly gorgeous.

The thorns around her neck and the variety of animals that are surrounding her seem almost biblical, perhaps I am reminded of Jesus’s crown of thorns or the garden of Eden and the animals within it.

Pablo Picasso – Cubist Self Portrait, 1907

Picasso employed a variety of styles, used unique materials, and also different kinds of art forms.

Picasso is famous for his Cubist style in which he incorporates fractured forms, geometry, and thick lines. This portrait is created in this Cubist style. It’s the definition of abstract – oversized features, blocky tones, and strong, angular lines. I’m unsure as to what medium is used for this particular piece, but it looks like either pastels or another, similar form of medium.

This piece is really interesting, and definitely memorable, however, I don’t find it particularly enjoyable to look at. I don’t think I would ever create a portrait in this style. I much prefer a more realistic portrait.

The tones within this piece range from browns to reds, and each tone is separated with a thick, black line. Again, an interesting style of work, but not my cup of tea. It’s no where near as moving or powerful as the portrait that I previously discussed of Frida Kahlo’s. I also can’t feel a story within it, which lessens the appeal further.

Vincent Van Gogh is one of the most famous and recognised painters in history. His extraordinarily unique style is what attracts people to his pieces – the swirling patterns and pastel colours are what make his work what it is.

His portraits show his range in painting techniques, and, over the years, the decline in his mental state. This very piece was painted shortly after he left the St. Remy asylum in the year 1889. Once you know this, it’s quite clear to see how Van Gogh is feeling through his portrayal of himself within this painting. He looks thin, limp, empty.

Also, the colours of the background seem to be merging into him, and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that he chose blue for this piece. I think it’s very reflective of how he was feeling then – blue, a colour best known for portraying the emotion of sadness, mournfulness, depression. It’s an extremely emotive piece with so much power behind it, and I really think Van Gogh has captured his feelings within it perfectly. Years and years later the strength behind the emotions within it is still as powerful as it was when it was first created.

Rembrandt – Self Portrait, 1660

Rembrandt was a dedicated self-portraitist all his life, and roughly forty self-portraits by him survive today. 

This piece was created using oil paint on canvas, with paints within a very specific colour range. We can see in this piece that Rembrandt predominantly worked in brown and black tones, branching away from this slightly when it came to the tones of his skin.

This piece is phenomenally realistic, and it’s easy to forget that it’s a painting, and not a photograph. Rembrandt would build upon the oil paints within his pieces to accurately depict every tiny detail. Over his life he painted a range of self portraits capturing his aging process, and you are able to see the many wonders of growing old that he went through, as he documented all of these things through his art – the wrinkles, greying hair, sagging skin, weight gain and all the other lovely things that come with growing old.

When I first looked at this piece, I found it dull, but, after researching it and studying it further, I’m amazed. I think it’s easy to find this painting fairly ‘ordinary’ as it doesn’t look like a painting. You forget the effort and skill that goes into a painting such as this when it looks like the real thing.

M. C. Escher – Hand with Reflecting Sphere, 1935

This is probably my favourite of the portraits I have looked at within this task. Hand with Reflecting Sphere, a lithograph print created in 1935, is one of Escher’s most recognised works.

Escher studied at the School for Architecture and Decorative artists, where he fell in love with graphics and his appreciation for geometry blossomed. He loved to incorporate his love for spheres as well as other geometric designs into this artwork, which is clear here. It’s safe to say that this is one of the most unique and unusual style of portraits I have ever seen.

The most intriguing feature of the work, however, is the hand that is holding the sphere. The hand is so close and detailed that it almost seems as though you are looking at your own hand holding it, and that the reflection within the sphere should be you. It feels a little like one of those fun fair mirrors.

Escher has created this piece in monochrome, which makes it all the more interesting, for some reason. I like that the piece is created in black, grey and white. I can’t exactly explain why. I love the eerie vibe that this piece gives off. I could imagine it being the cover of a mystery or crime novel, as though the man within the sphere is trapped inside it. It feels as though the more you study the sphere, the more you see.

I would sell my soul to be able to create a portrait as captivating and detailed as this. It’s truly magnificent, and one that I have crossed many times in the past. I know for sure I will see it again in the future.

It’s been exceptionally interesting to study a range of portraits from world famous artists.
Each artist has their own unique signature within their work with their colour and medium uses, the style that they work in, and how they portray themselves. I love each one for very different reasons, and it’s so inspiring to take the time to study each artist’s portrait and learn a little about the story behind each one. I’d be really keen to experiment using a style similar to Frida Kahlo. I find her work absolutely spellbinding – the colours, the realism, the way she involves nature and her culture within her work. I would be interested to see what I could come up with whilst taking inspiration from her portraits.

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References:

https://thepopularlist.com/beautiful-self-portraits-by-famous-artists/

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/437397

https://thepopularlist.com/beautiful-self-portraits-by-famous-artists/