Self-portrait in the Middle Ages

Abstract

Self-portrait has always been a complex artistic genre since its appearance until gaining its autonomy, because it reflects the artist’s mental and artistic development level to a great extent. If in Ancient times, self-portrait was considered just a simple documentary evidence, later it became a real symbol of the painterʾs identity and also an essential way of expressing one’s deepest feelings which seemed to be forgotten, but they were actually stored in one’s subconscious level. The article highlights specific ways of self-representations both in universal and in Romanian medieval art, which mark the beginning of self-consciousness, from a psychological point of view, and the beginning of a three dimensional representation, from a technical point of view, which indicates the beginning of profane painting that is different from the Byzatine style characterized by specific representation canons.

Keywords

• middle ages
• self-portrait
• facial expressions
• byzantine painting
• profane painting