Self-portrait of a Polish female graphic artist in relation to self-images by female graphic artists in Europe and the United States during the interwar period

Abstract

The article discusses self-portraits by Polish female graphic artists created during the interwar period in relation to self-images by female graphic artists native of Germany, France, Britain and the US created within the same period. The issues discussed here include different concepts of self-creation and diverse features of self-portrait manifested in the works by modern women (a manifesto, a mask, an intimate diary, introspection, an image for posterity, and a self-caricature). Graphic self-portraits created by women mirror the awareness of their own identity and professional status. Further, self-portraits have become a witness to ideological changes and the new position of females in socio-political life. Additionally, the research on a self-portrait as an element of one’s autobiography is addressed here.