Virtual Museum Tour – History of Self-Portraits

Join us for an immersive virtual museum tour exploring how and why artists have depicted themselves throughout history.

In an age of selfies, social media profiles and carefully curated personal brands, the desire to represent ourselves has never been more visible. But long before smartphones and Instagram, artists were turning the lens on themselves. Why did they do it, and what can their self-portraits tell us about identity, ambition, creativity and self-discovery?

Step inside MAP mima's immersive 360-degree Projection Cube and embark on a spectacular virtual museum experience featuring remarkable works from the mid-fifteenth century to the present day, discover how artists have continuously reimagined themselves across cultures, centuries and artistic movements.

Featuring icons such as Frida Kahlo, Vincent van Gogh, Artemisia Gentileschi, Claude Cahun, Diego Velázquez, Robert Cornelius, Sofonisba Anguissola, Hokusai and Gustave Courbet, this immersive tour explores the many ways artists have chosen to be seen.

Image (left to right): Caravaggio, David with the Head of Goliath , 1609–1610; Albrecht Dürer, Self-Portrait at 28 , 1500; Sandro Botticelli, Adoration of the Magi , c. 1475–1476; Artemisia Gentileschi, Self-Portrait as the Allegory of Painting, c. 1638–39; Frida Kahlo, Thinking About Death , 1943; Vincent van Gogh, Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear , 1889