Death, Self-Existence and Personal Identity in Contemporary Art: The Limitations of Portraiture in Representing the Unity of Identity and the Specificity of Self-Portraiture

This paper examines whether a portrait can capture the identity of an individual, specifically whether a portrait captures a person’s external appearance or the diachronic continuity of their identity. The paper begins by tracing the development of theories of identity in philosophy, from the view that identity is an inherent quality waiting to be discovered, through skepticism regarding a stable self, to the concept of generative identity. Building on this foundation, the paper reconsiders the relationship between identity and the portrait, and further discusses the distinctions between portraits, self-portraits and selfies, specifically their differing roles in the construction of identity. This paper argues that identity is not a fixed object that can be fully reproduced. Consequently, a portrait cannot capture a person’s complete identity. However, the function of a portrait extends beyond mere documentation, on the contrary it involves the subject’s ongoing participation in the construction and negotiation of identity as time progresses.