Frida Carroll, Self-Portrait with Necklace, oil on canvas, 35×29cm, 1933
People always linger on the reflection of themselves reflected in a mirror, indulging in self-appreciation in a narcissistic complex. This has also become the driving force and source of creation for many artists. Why is narcissism slightly pejorative in the current context so important to the artist? Today, Harper's Bazaar Arts interprets it for you.
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Do you often have moments when you look in the mirror after washing your face, or holding up your phone to change angles and trying to take a perfect selfie?
Gu Ying's self-pity and self-congratulation seem to be human nature. Tracing back to the roots, from the allusion of the ancient Greek beautiful teenager Narcissus who stared at the reflection in the water until his life was exhausted, to projecting himself into the hand-carved girl statue and falling in love with her Pygmalion, Narcissism has been rooted in the artist's spiritual world for a long time, and it has never gone away.
Caravaggio, Narcissus, oil on canvas, 110×92cm, 1597-1599
Jean-Léon Gérme, Pygmalion and Galatea, oil on canvas, 89×69cm, 1890
In the theory of psychologist Heinz Kohut, narcissism is the general essence of human beings, and whether acknowledged or not, everyone is narcissistic in the depths of the invisible heart. This is especially vividly reflected in the artists who take personal spirit and thinking as the creative motivation, and show a strong concern and desire for self-expression in their works.
Joan Miró, Self-Portrait, 146.1×97.2cm, 1937-1938
René Magritte, The Son of Man, oil on canvas, 116×89cm, 1964
Self-portrait is the most direct and frank expression of narcissism. Beginning with Albrecht Dürer, the "father of self-portraiture," the humanistic conception that originated in the Renaissance deeply influenced the creator to pour himself into the mirror-like self-portrait and perpetuate this self-intoxicating creative spirit. Bruegel Pieter depicts the artist's self-sufficiency in The Painter and the Patron, while Francois Boucher documents his solo scene in The Painter in His Studio. There are many self-portraits of such works, all of which reflect the creator's satisfaction and pride in the identity of the artist.
Albrecht Dürer, Self-Portrait, oil on canvas, 67.1×48.9 cm, 1500
Francois Boucher, Painter in His Studio, oil on canvas, 27×22cm, 1730-1735
In contrast, the self-portrait with his eyes gazing forward shows the artist's self-devotion, as if the painter stood in front of the mirror and admired his reflection with great devotion and intoxication. In a series of self-portraits by The French artist Gustave Courbet, lyrical brushstrokes depict his facial expressions softly and elegantly, reflecting the self-temperament in the eyes of the creator.
Courbet said: "I am the only magistrate of my own paintings. Of all the modern French painters, I am the one who expresses individuality and social forces in an original way. He considers himself "the most conceited and arrogant man in all of France" and unabashedly flaunts his talent and self-sufficiency in his works.
Gustave Courbet, Self-Portrait with a Black Dog, oil on canvas, 69×77cm, 1842-1844
Gustave Courbet, The Man with the Leather Belt, oil on canvas, 100×82cm, 1845-1846
Gustave Courbet, Man with a Pipe, oil on canvas, 45×37cm, 1848-1849
In a series of self-portraits by the French post-impressionist painter Paul Gauguin, his deep gaze, combined with a slightly rebellious body gesture, reveals a deeper and more hidden inner emotion, as well as a self-focused intoxication.
Paul Gauguin, Self-Portrait, 79.2×51.3cm, 1889
Paul Gauguin, Self-Portrait to Van Gauguin (Les Misérables), oil on canvas, 44.5×50.3 cm, 1888
In the process of art from tradition to modern and contemporary and developed to the present, the artist is gradually no longer satisfied with depicting the self-emotion on the surface, but turns to the expression of the indescribable subconscious personal will, which is particularly evident in pop art. Typical of Andy Warhol's infinite reproduction and removal of the meaning of the flat image, the pattern of symbolizing everything and people makes the self-portrait a means for the artist to expand himself, and each work murmurs its own personality and logo.
Andy Warhol, Self-Portrait, 171.1×171.1cm, 1966
Paul Klee, Senecio, oil on canvas, 1922
Keith Haring, Self-Portrait, Acrylic on Canvas, 121.9×121.9cm, 1985
"Self-absorption in the mirror"
Self-centered "narcissism" complexes often mix in social contexts, and most of the time people evaluate others as "too narcissistic", more like dissatisfaction and accusations, and the subtext equates "narcissism" with "excessive self-perception bias" and "self-righteousness". However, as a universal essential complex, "narcissism" can also bring a strong self-driving force and help us, and artists are no exception.
Francis Bacon, Self-Portrait, 35.5×30.5cm, 1975
Joan Miró, Self-Portrait, 1937
"I am my own muse. For better or worse, I honestly show myself to you. Frida Kahlo, a Mexican artist known for creating self-portraits full of emotional tension, is undoubtedly a "narcissist." The misfortunes and sufferings she has experienced over the years, such as illness and car accident, are presented in her works, but people cannot glimpse a trace of self-abandonment and despair, but are full of strength and courage in self-analysis and identification.
Frida Kahlo, The Two Fridas, oil on canvas, 173.5×173cm, 1939
Frida Kahlo, The Wounded Deer, oil on canvas, 22.9×30.5cm, 1946
Frida Kahlo, Autorretrato con chango y loro, oil on canvas, 54.6×43.2 cm, 1942
His work is filled with the bloody scars of reality carved on Carlo's body, and the exaggerated elements of surrealism amplify the pain and transmit it to the viewer. But at any given time, her expression in the picture is as calm, indifferent, and indifferent as ever, as if she were experiencing the story of a stranger. Her unconditional trust and honesty helped her to reconcile with her life and protect her original intention from the cruel and dirty reality, allowing her to liberate her true self in her artistic life.
Frida Kahlo, Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird, oil on canvas, 61.25×47cm, 1940
Salvador Dalí, known for his arrogance and rebellion, has a deeper narcissistic complex. He created the famous Metamorphosis of Narcissus against the backdrop of the ancient Roman poet Publius Ovidius Naso's depiction of the myth of Narcissus. In his surrealist style of storytelling, a huge human figure symbolizing a beautiful youth appears on the left, his vague silhouette reflected on the water; his head rests on his knees, bent over, as if his life is about to end. The daffodil on the right side of the painting transforms into a double image of an egg in one hand, from which the same flower is born.
Salvador Dalí, Metamorphosis of Narcissus, oil on canvas, 51.2×78.1cm, 1937
The encounter with Freud's monograph on psychology opened the door for Dalí to explore dreams and let go of himself. The deep-seated narcissism revealed in this work also allows him to incorporate a paranoid side into his creations and constantly seeks to construct personal images that are important to him.
Salvador Dalí, Soft Self-Portrait with Grilled Bacon, 61.3×50.8cm, 1941
Salvador Dalí, The Whole Dali in a Face, 28×22cm, 1975
Salvador Dalí, The Sun of Dalí, oil on canvas, 101×75.7cm, 1965
"Echoes beyond Gu Ying's self-pity"
In addition to influencing the content and form of creation, can you imagine that the artist's narcissism also affects whether the work is good to sell to some extent? In a paper published in The European Journal of Finance, researchers found that the more narcissistic artists had higher market prices, the higher the auction houses valued them, and the better they performed against the art market index.
Pablo Picasso, Femme au Béret Mauve (Woman in a Lilac Beret), oil on canvas, 41×33cm, 1937
It is not difficult to understand that extremely self-centered personality traits give narcissists a high sense of self-worth and superiority, and the absolute self-confidence they display often makes them excel in career and love. Pablo Picasso is typical, narcissistic, once saying "God is really an artist, just like me... I am God, I am God, I am God" such arrogant words, the consistent eyes of no one and arrogance continue to hurt the lovers around them.
Pablo Picasso, The Dream (Le Rêve), oil on canvas, 130×97cm, 1932
Pablo Picasso, Dora Maar With a Cat, oil on canvas, 103×97cm, 1941
It was this narcissism that made Picasso more attractive and motivated in the eyes of others, and his artistic talent was more convincing. His work "The Woman Sitting by the Window (Mary Teresa)" was sold for about 660 million yuan at Christie's in New York on the evening of May 13, and it was sought after by people who were shockingly sought after. In this work, Teresa's image as if holding absolute dominance reflects the creator's charming self, which deeply attracts the viewer.
Pablo Picasso, Femme assise près d'une fenêtre (Marie-Thérèse), oil on canvas, 146×114cm, 1932
Some art critics pointed out: "Whether accepted by the public or not, Picasso is the most recognizable brand in the global art market. "The high attention and affirmation to oneself not only inspires the artist's full attention to the work, the uniqueness of the creative form and technique, and the unlimited pursuit of success, but also adds more confidence to collectors and the market."
Pablo Picasso, Seated Woman in Blue Dress, oil on canvas, 70×60cm, 1939
If the "narcissistic" complex stops in time in the dimensions of self-pouring, self-identification and free manifestation of the individual's will, it can properly liberate the artist's creativity as a positive emotional factor. But if this complex crosses that delicate boundary, it is easy to breed vanity and arrogance. Unconsciously and guiltily exaggerating one's own importance and gaining a sense of superiority from controlling others will cause the artist's emotional isolation and isolation, which is an emptiness and obstacle that many friends and lovers cannot make up. When the extraordinary charm and creative passion brought by narcissism are not responded to and affirmed, it is a time when you should be vigilant and introspective.
Editor, Wen Xie Weiwei
This article is original by Harper's Bazaar Art Department and may not be reproduced without permission