New at the IMA: 19th-Century Selfies

Two of the works featured in the IMA’s Face to Face: The Neo-Impressionist Portrait (opening June 15) would be right at home on social media. Here, a quick snapshot of the exhibit’s only self-portraits.

Self-Portrait
by Vincent Van Gogh 1887

The brooding Dutchman painted a lot of these, mostly because he had no money for models and refused to base paintings on imaginative scenes (although you’d never know it by viewing Starry Night).

Self-Portrait in a White Beret
by Achille Lauge 1895

To the extent that Lauge is familiar at all, the French artist is known for his Impressionist landscapes. But he did leave behind a few images of himself, like this jaunty one that’s more hat than head.

Photos courtesy Indianapolis Museum of Art

This article appeared in the June 2014 issue.