Concealments and Revelations in the Self-Portraits of Female Painters

Abstract

Le donne son venute in eccelenza Di ciascun' arte or' hanno posto cura. Ariosto, Orlando Furioso, Canto XX, Stanza 2 This essay provides general introduction on nature of female self-portraiture in painting from sixteenth century to present, as depicted by Sofonisba Anguissola's Self Portrait of 11552 (Boston Museum of Fine Arts) and Lavinia Fontana's Self Portrait of 1595 (Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence, Fig. 1), in contemporary painters Howardena Pindell's Autobiography of 1980 (Wadsworth Athenaeum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT, Fig. 2), and Julie Heffernan's Self Portrait of 2000 (Artist's Private Collection, Fig. 3). Although my focus is on self-portraits of female painters, I will compare and contrast female self-portraits with male self portraits of same era, to show that 1) there are no differences between female and male creative minds, and 2) there are different themes in female self-portraits that are not found in male self-portraits, in terms of maternity, abortion, and aspects of puberty transformation The portrait can be defined as a human image, individualized by physiognomic specification, subjected to artistic and psychological interpretation, presented as work of art, and affected by changing circumstances of perception (1): or as image of the absent ... made present to their friends, dead ... seen by living many centuries later. (2) There are number of factors that must be considered in analyzing portrait in order to comprehend its full meaning. For example, identity of person represented and motive for painting work must be considered. The role of background of work and period in which it was painted is another factor. The setting, attire, coiffure, ornamentation, gestures and expression reflect taste and style of era. The context of portrait is also important: it may serve as an introduction of young woman or man to potential spouse, glorification of monarch or hero, memento mori or likeness of own who has died. The portrait may embody claim to kinship or friendship, an advertisement of an artist's skill, or demonstration that artist is up-to-date on latest modes of dress and symbols of gentility. Other aspects to consider when viewing portrait are representations and expressions of sitters and reactions of viewers to image. Has painter created, for example, likeness, counterfeit or an idealized image of sitter, painting with hidden symbolism or declaration of subject's allegiance to cause or principal? What is function of portrait? Who commissioned it and why? These are only few of questions that can be raised regarding portraiture. Problems of interpretation, identification and attribution are always challenge in art history, and they are even more so with portraits. The portrait, like all art, is bound to history and its social conventions. Its stylistic and conventional representation escapes temporal and spatial limitations it is, at once, portrayal of past, present and future. Despite questions of objective and subjective resemblance, it is judged, first and foremost, as work of art. When looking at portrait, viewer is interested in understanding hidden clues or attributes provided by artist. Some portraits contain actual writing, an inscription that explains or complements visual image, such as found in Catherina van Hemessen's Self-Portrait of 1546 (Offentliche Kunstsammlung in Basel) or in Albrecht Durer's Self-Portrait of 1495. Role playing in portraiture can refer to literary text outside painting itself, such as in Parmgianino's Self-Porrtait of 1530-40 (Staatliche Kunstsammlungern, Dresden) and Lavinia Fontana's Sell-Portrait of 1595 (Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence, Fig. 1). Signs or symbols (iconography) are employed by painters, especially in painter's selfportrait; e. …

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