Artists Portray Themselves
Self Portraits as Paris, Saint Luke, Apostle Paul, and in Own Museum
Dec 29, 2007
Q. Which painter depicted himself as the shepherd Paris?
A. Anthony van Dyck
Van Dyck (1599-1641) was a Flemish artist who in his youth was the chief assistant to master Peter Paul Rubens and was very much influenced by him; Rubens is said to have referred to the nineteen-year-old van Dyck as “the best of my pupils.” Ultimately he became the leading court painter in England.
Legend has it that when Paris was born, it was foretold that he would cause the downfall of Troy. Paris was sent to Mount Ida in hopes to prove the message wrong. He became a shepherd. During a contest to see who among Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite was the most beautiful, he was chosen to select the winner. Aphrodite promised him the love of the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen. He picked Aphrodite. To fetch his prize, he arrived at Sparta, seduced Helen, and sailed away with her to Troy. Thus is the origin of the Trojan War.
Van Dyck depicts himself as Paris in this portrait done in 1632. Today the painting hangs at the Wallace Collection in London.
Q. Which painter depicted himself as Saint Luke contemplating Christ’s body on the Cross?
A. Francisco de Zurbaran
De Zurbaran (1598-1664) was a Spanish painter who painted directly from nature. In 1635 he created this composition of himself as the evangelist Saint Luke. The painting currently hangs at the Prado in Madrid.
Q. Which painter depicted himself as the Apostle Paul?
A. Rembrandt
In 1661 Rembrandt painted himself in the role of Paul the Apostle. He shows a sword projecting from his doublet and himself holding a unrolled manuscript. Both objects are attributes of the apostle Paul. The sword refers to Paul's martyrdom (he was beheaded). On his head Rembrandt is wearing a turban (not his familiar painter's cap) as an allusion to the Middle East of the Bible. This artwork currently hangs at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
Q. Which painter depicted himself in his own museum?
A. Charles Willson Peale
In 1784 American painter and scientist Charles Willson Peale established “Peale's Museum," which was moved to Philadelphia in 1802. The museum contained portraits of prominent Americans done by the talented Peale and his son, Rembrandt. Additionally it contained Peale’s collection of American Indian relics, wax dummies, and various curiosities and artifacts of natural history. He invented his own system of taxidermy and his concept of placing each preserved animal in a simulated natural environment was ahead of its time. His self-portrait showing him in his museum currently hangs at the Academy of Fine Arts in Pennsylvania, USA.
Sources:
Bailey, Colin J. The Art Quiz Book: 2000+ Questions on Painters and Paintings. Station Press: Scotland, 1995.
Grove Dictionary of Art. Oxford University Press, 2007.
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