One of the best known portraits of the 16th century is the portrait of Francesco del Giocondo's wife, Mona Lisa. The painter Leonardo da Vinci succeeded in providing her with the famous Mona Lisa smile that is fascinating and attracting people all over the world.
Self-portraits, in contrast, display the artist him- or herself. Artists may chose to create a self-portrait for promotional purposes, to tell stories about themselves or to show them in a more superior role than they actually are.
Albrecht Dürer can be seen as the first prolific self-portraitist. Even at the early age of 13 he started experimenting with self-portraiture. At the age of 22, he painted the "Self-portrait with Carnation", which was originally intended for his fiancée. His probably most popular portrait was produced at the hight of his success and therefore promotes himself as the triumphant artist.
One of my favorite painters is the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. The vibrant colors she used as well as the influences she had from Realism, Symbolism as well as Surrealism make her work very unique. She is famous for various self-portraits. They reveal very strongly and sometimes even shockingly her emotional state.
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