Interview and Introduction with J. Hall: Self-Portrait and Philosophy

After a brief introduction, James Hall presents some key questions about the cultural (and broadly philosophical) dimension of self-portrait. Firstly whether and to what extent we can really think of a ‘chronological’ structure of the history of art (and culture). Secondly which model can help us place diachronically and synchronously the production of self-portraits; then whether there is really an influence of philosophy on art (and of art on philosophy), thus the relationship between serious and ironic, male and female, face and mask, sacredness and dissection in the self-portrait history. Finally, the question of narcissism, between myth, philosophy, and everyday life. Precise references to famous (and less famous) self-portraits from the Middle Ages to the current Selfie are not lacking