The objective of this unit is to raise students' awareness of hidden meanings in paintings, and tell-tale features which help to place them in time, space and social milieu, illustrated through self-portraits.

The unit looks at self-portraits by a number of male and female artists from the sixteenth to the twentieth centuries. Having identified a number of paintings from different periods, the unit goes on to explore the style and symbolism of self-portraits to understand the different ways in which artists represent themselves and the society in which they lived. Finally, the unit explores some of the self-portraits of Frida Kahlo, exploring how her work conveys her struggle for identity as a woman, as an artist and as a Mexican. The purpose of the unit is to encourage students to 'read' an image as critically as they would a written text.

This unit is meant as an introduction to visual literacy. It summarises some of the important features to look for in a painting through the medium of the self-portrait. While students are familiar with signs and symbols around them and can interpret, for example, safety signs or road signs, they may be less familiar with the concept of 'reading' paintings. For students learning about the artist as a person of their time through their paintings, it is an excellent way of extending their knowledge of history, place and cultures.

Extension

• Ask students to research the work of a particular artist. Andy Warhol in particular obsessively painted his own portrait. Ask students to make some informed guesses about the historical and social contexts of the paintings.
• Look at the unit again. Are there any differences between the way that the female and male artists portray themselves? Find sites on the internet that will allow you to continue exploring gender and representation in art. Encourage discussion about the similarities and differences.
• Ask students to write a short essay on how they would portray themselves in a painting. Begin by asking them to think about what is important to them: their possessions, enthusiasms etc. Get them to focus on meaningful objects and backgrounds that would say something about them. How would they show themselves? Facing front? In shadow or sunlight?
• Ask any students who are willing to do so to take a photograph of themselves that reflects what they have written in their essay and to give a short talk to the class explaining why they have chosen a particular posture, background or object. Or they can begin the session by showing the photograph first and asking other students to interpret it.