Artists since time immemorial have painted self-portraits: at times because models’ fees were beyond their meagre means; at times because they found themselves in isolation; at times simply because no one knows anyone as well as he knows himself and such intimate knowledge permits exploration and honesty, the freedom to experiment, and fulfils the desire to express. While focusing on the apogee of the genre in the 20th and 21st centuries, “#Reflections on the #Self” (on until 5 #September) seeks to explore the history and evolution of the #self-portrait. For its sixth #exhibition, #Christie’s Mayfair, the #auction house’s dedicated exhibition space, brings together more than 50 #artists and 70 #works showing the diversity of media, formats and styles used by artists to reflect their selves, from #Albrecht #Dürer to #Thomas #Struth. A rare 15th-century woodcut “The Bathhouse” depicts the artist leaning on a wooden support, a tap comically positioned where his genitals should be, wistfully watching the other men as they bathe. A photograph by Struth, Alte Pinakothek, Self-Portrait Munich, from his Museum Portraits series, looks over the artist’s shoulder at the well-known later self-portrait by Dürer. The exhibition as a whole is framed by this one work. The exhibition also includes works by Marlene Dumas, Lucian Freud, Francisco Goya, Barbara Hepworth, Sarah Lucas, Henri Matisse, Rembrandt van Rijn, and many more. To order Albrecht Dürer self-portrait click on this link - bit.ly/1EfX0qx

1. Reflections on the Self: From Dürer to Struth
Artists since time immemorial have painted self-portraits: at times because models’ fees
were beyond their meagre means; at times because they found themselves in isolation; at times
simply because no one knows anyone as well as he knows himself and such intimate knowledge
permits exploration and honesty, the freedom to experiment, and fulfils the desire to express.
While focusing on the
apogee of the genre in the 20th
and 21st centuries, “Reflections
on the Self” (on until 5
September) seeks to explore the
history and evolution of the
self-portrait.
For its sixth exhibition,
Christie’s Mayfair, the auction
house’s dedicated exhibition
space, brings together more than 50 artists and 70 works showing the diversity of media, formats
and styles used by artists to reflect their selves, from Albrecht Dürer to Thomas Struth.
A rare 15th-century woodcut “The Bathhouse” depicts the artist leaning on a wooden
support, a tap comically positioned where his genitals should be, wistfully watching the other
men as they bathe. A photograph by Struth, Alte Pinakothek, Self-Portrait Munich, from his
Museum Portraits series, looks over the artist’s shoulder at the well-known later self-portrait by
Dürer. The exhibition as a whole is framed by this one work.
The exhibition also includes works by Marlene Dumas, Lucian Freud, Francisco Goya,
Barbara Hepworth, Sarah Lucas, Henri Matisse, Rembrandt van Rijn, and many more.
To order Albrecht Dürer self-portrait click on this link - bit.ly/1EfX0qx