The Art of the Selfie at National Museum Cardiff – Amgueddfa Cymru
Brilliant chance to view a collection of diverse paintings – including a Van Gogh on loan from Paris
Is a self-portrait the original selfie? It’s the question asked at the National Museum Cardiff – Amgueddfa Cymru – in an exhibition running until next year.
The Art of the Selfie looks at how artists through history have used self-portraits as a way to explore their identities.
Artists in the exhibition include:
Van Gogh
David Jones
Ceri Richards
David Hurn
Bedwyr Williams
Brenda Chamberlain
Shani Rhys James
Cedric Morris
Thomas Barker
Edna Clarke Hall
Rembrandt
Anya Paintsil
This was an excellent chance to see paintings in an exhibition which was incredibly chilled and relaxed. There are no distractions or harsh lighting, making it neurodivergent friendly.
It was wonderful being able to see Van Gogh’s self portrait on loan from the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. A fantastic opportunity for many people to see such a painting locally or a short while away from Cardiff.
Van Gogh, who is currently living it large in a major exhibition at The National Gallery, painted 35 self-portraits. Along with his sometimes turbulent life and a back catalogue of some of the most famous paintings in the world, he is arguably the most famous ‘selfie’ painters of all time.
The textile is created with acrylic, wool, synthetic hair, alpaca, mohair and human hair on hessian
The exhibition though small, featured a perfectly curated range of styles. Each painting had its own story with it. There was Edna Clarke Hall, an art prodigy at 14, whose potential career was cut short by marriage.
Or Anya Paintsil, a Welsh-Ghanian artist, whose work Blod formed part of the exhibition. Paintsil reclaims her Welsh identity in a self portrait depicting herself as Blodeuwedd, a character from the stories of the Mabinogion – mythical Welsh tales.
The Art of the Selfie at National Museum Cardiff – Amgueddfa Cymru – runs until 25 January 2025
For more information or to book tickets, visit: https://museum.wales/cardiff/whatson/12181/Art-of-the-Selfie/
Backstagebristol.com
www.instagram.com/backstagebristol
Bluesky
TikTok
YouTube
YouTube Shorts
https://www.facebook.com/backstagebristol
