Artists have always created self-portraits. And whatever their motivation: as a showcase for their talents, a political statement or a conscious projection of their best self – the result is always the same: the creator becomes the subject. This idea is celebrated in Facing the World, which presents a breath-taking selection of portraits, in various media, spanning six centuries, from Rembrandt’s paintings to Ai Weiwei’s instagram posts.

Artists represented in the exhibition include: Simon Vouet, Rembrandt, Hyacinthe Rigaud, David Wilkie, David Octavius Hill, Edvard Munch, Henri Matisse, Oskar Kokoschka, Andy Warhol, Marina Abramović, Tracey Emin, John Coplans, Ken Currie and Alison Watt.

Facing the World is a collaboration between the National Galleries of Scotland, the Staatliche Kunsthalle, Karlsruhe and the Musée des Beaux-Arts Lyon and has been made possible with the support of the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union. More information on the the collaboration can be found here.

Part of Edinburgh Art Festival.