Impressionist artwork broke new ground not just for the distinct style of visible brush strokes giving paintings new movement and flow but also for their subject matter. Instead of depicting great figures in history, biblical events or mythological stories, they looked out of their windows and painted what they saw. They painted everyday toil, joy and the mundane made magical.
For many of us, this shift towards capturing the humanness of life is what makes art meaningful. We see our hearts, souls and stories expressed in a way that reassures, empowers and enlightens us.
What better way to capture humanness than for the artist to put a mirror up to themselves? Self-portraits offer unique opportunities. We get to see the artist in their renowned style. We also get a glimpse of their artistic soul and internal struggles as they decide how to depict themselves.
Vincent Van Gogh’s Self-Portraits
One of the best examples of insight through self-portraiture is the work of Vincent Van Gogh. He created over 35 self-portraits throughout his career. Some were painted out of practicality. It was easier to paint himself than find a model as he was practicing depicting people. Others were a therapeutic act.
He painted a couple of self-portraits with his bandaged ear. He honestly depicts his struggle as a way to help himself heal. He seemed to find expressing himself in art easier than using words as he rarely wrote about the incident in his letters.
His self-portraits allow us to see Van Gogh through his own eyes. This can be quite disarming. The greatness around his name and art are contrasted with images of a troubled man. Van Gogh described the version of himself in one of his self-portraits as “quite unkempt and sad […] something like, say, the face of – death.” His raw honesty strengthens our connection to his artistic voice.
Anna Curnes’s Self-Portraits
Gallery Director and Resident Artist Anna Curnes felt Van Gogh’s story and artwork resonate even more during a 5 week residency in France. She visited the places he lived and painted and reflected on his journey.
In her musings on her new solo art show, she writes, “Vincent’s room overlooked the poppy field, in full bloom when we visited, cascading, a full and swaying field of little beacons of hope, of brightness in the dark, a sea of friends amidst the moonlight, reflecting positivity and possibility. But Vincent’s sense of self suffered because he’d never truly found an anchor, an identity. For someone whose voice continues to speak to viewers for centuries after his life, Vincent did not recognize it in himself. Can you? Do I?”
Anna resonated with the difficulties of embracing yourself and realized how often she makes herself small and keeps her true self hidden. She felt called to let go of self-doubt and perfectionism in order to celebrate her unique perspective and creativity unapologetically. So she decided to follow in Van Gogh’s footsteps and create self-portraits.
Just as it was for him, it was for her therapeutic. Looking at herself in the eye and painting what she saw gave her artistic voice renewed strength and conviction. The result was a series of self-portraits with the resolute message “To see yourself the way you are. To know and accept yourself.”
Explore Anna’s self-portraits, notice the echoes from Van Gogh’s self-portraits, and feel empowered by the call to fully embrace yourself at her new solo art show “It Started in Paris.” This mixed-media array of artwork fueled by the historic and artistic richness of France opens at ALG Fine Art on Saturday March 1st. Join us for the Opening Night Reception by securing your complimentary tickets.
