Overview
Portraits are a way for an artist to capture a person and their essence in a painting. Chances are you have seen more portraits than any other type of painting, or art in general, especially with the advent of technology giving us the modern portrait medium of the selfie. While most of us are used to capturing photos of ourselves, artists, historically, tended to favor painting others. This exhibit highlights those few instances where an artist turns their canvas towards themselves to capture who they are or, in some cases, who they want the viewer to think they are. The works selected for this installation show a wide range of art styles and perspectives, bending the traditional definition of what a portrait or self-portrait should look like.
Above: Laquita Thomson, Through the Dogtrot: Self-Portrait in a Cotton Field, 1994, screen print on paper, Gift of the artist, 1998.11; Raphael Soyer, Self-Portrait, 1982, lithograph on paper, Gift of Dr. and Mrs. M. Bonner Engelhardt, 2009.14.1
This exhibit highlights those few instances where an artist turns their canvas towards themselves to capture who they are or, in some cases, who they want the viewer to think they are.
Gallery
Organizer
Organized by the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, Montgomery, Alabama.
