G08: Visual Art - Icons and Idols: Resources

Google Arts and culture provides a virtual tour of the Van Gogh Museum

The Gallery holds the most extensive collection of portraits in the world. Search over 215,000 works, 150,000 of which are illustrated from the 16th Century to the present day.

Artists’ self-portraits tell us something about their beliefs: who they were, what they aspired to, what became of them over time. Some artists, doubting, questioning, hesitant investigates their faces, eyes and shifting expressions intently, asking the question: “who am I?” While others see definite emotion and character in their features and make bold and unequivocal statements: “this is who I am, unlike any other!”

Throughout the course of art history, self-portraiture has remained a tried and true practice among leading artists. Transcending technique and style, self-portrayals are prevalent in every major movement, from the inspired Italian Renaissance to the Post-Modern and Contemporary period. To illustrate the prevalence of these depictions, we have compiled a collection of the most famous self-portraits by the world's most well-known artists.