Neurosis and the artist's self-portrait (Albrecht Duerer, Germany, Rembrandt, Vincent van Gogh, The Netherlands, Pablo Picasso, Spain, Frida Kahlo, Mexico)

The concept of neurosis and how it affects artists and their self-portraits is examined to find if indeed a neurosis can be identified in the self-portrait. Neurosis will be defined and determined through a careful evaluation of primary and secondary sources, and then cross-referenced from a psychoanalytical perspective with the theories of neurosis written by Karen Horney. The artists examined are Albrecht Durer, Rembrandt van Rijn, Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, and Frida Kahlo. The methodology will focus on determining the symptoms of neurosis as they pertain to the artist, and then classifying those symptoms as revealed through the self-portrait. Essentially, the histories validate the plausibility of a neurosis, and it can be detected in the artists' self-portraits.