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The self-portrait is perhaps the best expression of the phenomenal explosion of the art of painting that took place in the Dutch Golden Age. Many seventeenth-century Dutch painters portrayed themselves, more than anywhere else in the world. Dutch painters developed various types of self-portraits: as gentlemen, with family members, role-playing and with artist’s accessories. These paintings have much to tell us about the artist’s self-image and presentation. In them, the painter often makes a statement about his (or her) profession, status or positioning in the world. The self-portrait is also much more than an image of the artist, but also an example of his style. This exhibition will offer a focused overview of the genre, with an emphasis on self-portraits that show the tools of the trade, a category that is particularly well-represented in Dutch art.
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