Self Portrait in Profile 

Odd Nerdrum’s Self Portrait in Profile is an oil painting reflecting the artist's distinctive approach to representation. Nerdrum, a Norwegian painter, provocatively rejected modernism in favour of what he termed "kitsch," consciously aligning himself with the techniques and aesthetics of Old Masters like Rembrandt. In this light, the image is striking in its seeming disregard for the contemporary art world of its time, challenging established notions of progress and originality. The painting becomes an implicit critique of the institutions that valorize those values. We must also remember the art market, which is a social institution in its own right. It is a space where this painting gains value through its opposition to dominant aesthetics. Art history allows us to understand the social and institutional contexts that shaped Nerdrum's choices and the reception of his work, and that is a crucial part of our experience of it.