Who am I? is a set of art and writing activities designed to help middle school students begin to answer this important question. Students will look carefully at self-portraits in the National Gallery of Art's collection by Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, Judith Leyster, David Alfaro Siqueiros, and Andy Warhol and respond to questions online. They will also make a variety of self-portraits and write poetry, a speech, and a letter about themselves—all to be placed in their self-portrait portfolio.

Who am I? is not a simple question. In fact, it leads to a long list of related questions. Here are a few:

• What are the distinctive things that make me "me"?
• How do I want people to see me?
• How can I express my many different sides?
• How can I reinvent myself for various purposes or times in my life?
• How am I changing from day to day or year to year?
• Who do I want to become?

Middle school students ask themselves these questions every day. They look in the mirror, compare themselves to their peers and to the countless images around them, and begin to form ideas about their identity. They are experiencing enormous changes in physical, social, emotional, and intellectual growth. Exploring their sense of self through diverse forms—here, self-portraiture, speaking, and autobiographical writing—will help them master these changes.

The activities that follow encourage students to examine and compare a range of self-portraits painted in different periods, and for different reasons. Each student activity is supported by a lesson implementation plan and background information for teachers. You’ll also find artist biographies, a glossary of terms, and other suggested print and online resources. The activities are designed to be used together as a unit on self-exploration through self-portraiture or separately as lessons that promote language arts, the study of art history, or the study of an individual artist. The activities may be done in any order, although starting with “Van Gogh’s Self-Portraits” and ending with “Andy Warhol / Digital Self-Portraits” is recommended.

Begin and End by Brainstorming:

Before students start the student activities, begin with a classroom brainstorming session. Ask students: “Why do artists make self-portraits? Give me every possible reason you can think of.” Remind students that in brainstorming, all answers are acceptable and should not be commented on by others. Write all answers on a large piece of chart paper that you can keep posted.

After the class has completed the activities, ask students again: “Why do artists make self-portraits? Give me every possible reason you can think of.” List their responses on a new chart and compare the “before and after” lists. What new observations did students make? What did they learn?

Background Information: Why do artists make self-portraits?

Since the Renaissance, artists have used self-portraits to explore a basic question: Who am I? While a mirror or a photograph can tell a person what he or she looks like, that physical image does not reflect the whole self. Self-portraiture insists the artist embark on a journey of self-exploration in order to make decisions about how to represent him/herself authentically. For each self-portrait, the artist must ask: What expression, posture, clothing, background, colors, texture, and style best express the real me? Might those answers be different at any given time?

Artists have always had practical reasons for making self-portraits; for instance, they get a model who is always available and works for free; self-portraits are a good way for an artist to practice rendering different expressions and moods; and they can serve to advertise the artist’s skill to potential customers. Self-portraits may also represent an artist’s quest for immortality, as a way to leave behind an image that will outlive the artist. Additionally, a self-portrait can preserve a memory, serve as a gift, and even help an artist further understand him/herself.