Drawing primarily from the National Portrait Gallery’s vast collection of self-portraits, this exhibition will explore how American artists have chosen to portray themselves since the beginning of the last century. As people are confronted each day with “selfies” via social media and as they continue to examine the fluidity of contemporary identity, this is an opportune time to reassess the significance of self-portraiture in relation to the country’s history and culture. The exhibition will feature more than 75 works by artists such as Josef Albers, Patricia Cronin, Imogen Cunningham, Elaine de Kooning, Edward Hopper, Joan Jonas, Jacob Lawrence, Alice Neel, Louise Nevelson, Diego Rivera, Lucas Samaras, Fritz Scholder, Roger Shimomura, Shahzia Sikander and Martin Wong. “Eye to I: Self-Portraits from 1900 to Today” is curated by Brandon Brame Fortune, chief curator, National Portrait Gallery. This exhibition concludes the Portrait Gallery’s 50th anniversary celebrations, and an expanded, illustrated companion book will be published in spring 2019.
![Bare chested man with his wife in a bathing suit]()
Self-Portrait with Rita / Thomas Hart Benton (15 Apr 1889 - 9 Jan 1975) / c. 1924 / National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Mr. and Mrs. Jack H. Mooney![Older woman seated in a chair, nude]()
Alice Neel Self-Portrait / Alice Neel (28 Jan 1900 - 13 Oct 1984) / 1980 / National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Berenice Abbott Self-Portrait / Berenice Abbott (17 Jul 1898 - 9 Dec 1991) / c. 1932 / National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Bathrobe / Jim Dine (born 16 Jun 1935) / 1964 / National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; the Ruth Bowman and Harry Kahn Twentieth Century American Self-Portrait Collection Conserved with funds from the Smithsonian Women's Committee
Faith Ringgold Self-Portrait / Faith Ringgold (born 8 Oct 1930) / 1998 / National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Self Portrait with Grey Cat, 2003 / Fritz Scholder (6 Oct 1937 - 10 Feb 2005) / 2003 / National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Memorial To A Marriage / Patricia Cronin (born 1963) / modeled 2002, cast 2013 / National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Chuck Close
Alice Neel Self-Portrait / Alice Neel (28 Jan 1900 - 13 Oct 1984) / 1980 / National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Berenice Abbott Self-Portrait / Berenice Abbott (17 Jul 1898 - 9 Dec 1991) / c. 1932 / National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Bathrobe / Jim Dine (born 16 Jun 1935) / 1964 / National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; the Ruth Bowman and Harry Kahn Twentieth Century American Self-Portrait Collection Conserved with funds from the Smithsonian Women's Committee
Faith Ringgold Self-Portrait / Faith Ringgold (born 8 Oct 1930) / 1998 / National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Self Portrait with Grey Cat, 2003 / Fritz Scholder (6 Oct 1937 - 10 Feb 2005) / 2003 / National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Memorial To A Marriage / Patricia Cronin (born 1963) / modeled 2002, cast 2013 / National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Chuck Close
Aliens Sans Frontières / Enrique Chagoya / 2016 / National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Who's Sorry Now / Molly Soda (born 28 Jan 1989) / 2017 / 315 Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
