Self-portraits are never just reflections—they are acts of self-definition. Discover how women artists have fashioned their own image to claim authority, construct identity, and carve for themselves a place in the art world.

Online talk (Zoom)

Monday 24 August, from 10 am to 12

Cost: £ 14 (scroll down for payment button)

From the Renaissance to the present day, women artists have used self-portraiture to claim visibility, shape identity, and challenge the ways they were seen by others. This two-hour session explores how women across different periods represented themselves—sometimes as professionals, sometimes as rebels, sometimes as symbols, and often as complex individuals negotiating gender, power, and creativity.

With examples ranging from Lavinia Fontana and Artemisia Gentileschi to Gwen John, Alice Neel and Jenny Saville, this session will offer a perspective on how women have used their own image to tell stories that were often excluded from the historical record.

Illustration above: Helene Schjerfbeck, “Self-Portrait” (1912), oil on canvas, Finnish National Gallery, Helsinki

Cost: £ 14

Payment is via Stripe with your bank card. It is easy and safe. If necessary, refunds can be processed with Stripe. A few days after you’ve paid you will received a confirmation email from me. The Zoom link is sent to you a week before the session, and then again the day before.

Please check the terms and conditions to see the policy about cancellations and refunds. If you have any issues or questions, do not hesitate to get in touch (see “contact” above).

Thanks!