Chiaroscuro Self-Reflection

While this piece was created for a course I took as an undergraduate student, it was not a visual art course; rather, it was part of the final project for the history course Survey of Western Art. The assignment tasked us to create a self-portrait using some of the techniques we learned about over the course of the semester.

I focused most on showcasing the Chiaroscuro technique common in Baroque-period oil paintings. The illustration is intended to capture the mixed feelings I have towards perfectionism. I chose to portray my perfectionism as an angel, after the immaculate angels of Christian theology (having been raised Catholic myself). The angel looks with concern upon the other figure, however, because their good-natured intentions to achieve perfection are instead causing suffering. In this way, the perfectionism feels more like a prison and punishment, inducing intense self-criticism and hyper-vigilance (hence the ball and chain around the kneeling figure's ankle, as they plead the angel of perfectionism to release them).

I would not say this piece showcases the full potential of my skills at the time it was created, since I knew I was not being evaluated on the quality of the piece itself. If I were being graded on the quality of the piece, I would have spent far more time on it, utilizing photo-references of myself to most accurately portray my visage. (I also would have sourced a better material to paint it on; I only used carboard because it was free, had a paper surface, and was strong enough not to warp when painted on.) I chose to include it regardless in an attempt to represent a variety of pieces in this portfolio.