Yesterday I visited the Caixaforum in Seville, Spain and saw an exhibition, that is on loan from the Prado in Madrid, showcasing Spanish portraiture from the 1800s.
Perfectly curated to show the chronology of obsession we have had towards the self. It started out with portraits done of kings and other upper class gentry who could afford such luxuries. When portraiture became more common in the mid 1800s there were children and merchant class men and women who could afford to have their likeness preserved for future generations.
There was a room devoted to death mask portraits- yes… paintings done of people just after they have expired.
And then miniatures became popular because they were more accessible- small portraits that one could carry around and even give as an intimate gift. This has to be the precursor to the ‘wallet photos’ people used to have. As I examined the delicate miniatures on display I looked around at the number of people taking photos with their phones and realized we haven’t changed that much.
The mirror we know today was invented in Germany approximately 200 years ago and even then it wasn’t the common item it is today as it wasn’t accessible to all, only the upper classes could afford to buy a mirror because of the high cost. Until the beginning of the 1900s most families could only buy small mirrors to check their hairdos and bonnets. Prior to this people relied on nature to see their likeness, think of Narcissus staring into a pond and seeing his reflection.
How has this access to our image affected the way we live today? Our thoughts seem perpetually turned inward and our focus has never been more ego-centered. Something to consider next time you look in the mirror or snap a selfie.
Jane Bauer 