Learn about the characters in these famous paintings and where the works can be viewed today.
Which artist depicted himself –
1. As Holofernes in “Judith with the Head of Holofernes”?
Cristofano Allori (1577-1621) was an Italian portrait painter who studied in the Florentine school, which sought to unite the rich coloring of the Venetians with the Florentine attention to drawing. Allori’s finest work is “Judith with the Head of Holofernes.” The model for the Judith was his mistress, Maria di Giovanni Mazzafirra, the features of the servant are those of La Mazzafirra's mother, and the head of Holofernes is generally assumed to be modeled after the artist himself. From what I’ve read about this painting, it seems that it depicts the unhappy relationship that existed among these three characters. .
Today you can see the painting in the Pitti Palace in Florence.
2. With seven fingers?
Marc Chagall (1887-1985) was a 20th-century modern artist who work focused on storytelling, memories, and imagination. He flirted with Cubism, but color was the most important element of his work. As a child, he was taught by his grandfather who instilled in him a love for religion and the knowledge of the Torah. As an adult, he was strongly influenced by his time spent in Paris, saying that “I owe all that I have achieved to Paris, to France, whose nature, men, the very air, were the true school of my life and art." In this famous self-portrait, he depicts himself with seven fingers.
Today the painting can be seen in the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam.
3. With badges?
Peter Blake (b. 1932) is a British pop artist, best-known for his design on The Beatles' “Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band” album. In his “Self-portrait with Badges,” Blake uses objects like buttons, a magazine cover featuring Elvis, baseball boots, and his denim clothes as portrait elements to show his personal interests and the icons of the day.
You can view this painting in the Tate Gallery in London.
