A new course is being offered at LIM for the Fall 2023 semester, and it promises to forever change the way students perceive selfies.
Developed and taught by Professor Liz Sweibel of the Arts and Sciences department, the "A History of the Selfie" course delves into the fascinating evolution of self-portraiture, with the modern selfie being its most recent incarnation.
Although the selfie is associated with the introduction of the iPhone in 2007, its true origins can be traced back to an extensive history.
Professor Sweibel’s course starts its investigation in the late 15th century, when European artists began painting likenesses of themselves. Students will look at 500 years of self-portraiture spanning various artistic mediums, such as painting and photography, exploring the minds of a diverse array of artists including Vincent van Gogh, Mary Cassatt, and Cindy Sherman.
“What distinguishes this class is not that it focuses on the selfie, but it focuses on self-portraiture, and the selfie is a contemporary version of that, which represents all kinds of cultural shifts,” said Sweibel.
Along with exploring the historical significance of self-portraiture, the class will include philosophical discussions on questions such as “What is the ‘self’?” Class discussions consider the selfie and self-portraiture as both object and gesture.
Said Dr. Daniel Chaskes, Chair of the Arts and Sciences department, “This is a course that represents a direction in which the college is going, where we meet students where they are and try to reflect their interests.”
