An exhibition of self-portraits by world-renowned artists is being held at the National Museum of China in Beijing.

The masterpieces are on loan from the Uffizi Gallery in Italy.

The Vibe reporter Yang Yan takes a look at how these artists portrayed themselves and the messages they were trying to convey.

The show includes works by Rafael, Rembrandt and a few other famous painters, many of whom have made significant contributions to visual art over the years.

Now, viewers in China have the chance to see their self-portraits up close.

After almost a year of preparation, 50 self-portraits from the Uffizi have come to Beijing.

“We worked for a long time with our colleague Vanessa Gavioli to select around fifty works out of the approximately 2,000 in our collections. As a result, each of the fifty selected pieces holds great significance for us. Notably, Raphael’s self-portrait, which serves as the highlight of the exhibition, has an important meaning globally. Furthermore, Raphael’s artistry served as a point of reference for artists up until at least the mid-19th century,” said Alessandra Griffo, Curator of the Uffizi Gallery.

“The Uffizi Gallery has a vast collection of self-portraits, which mean a lot to our Chinese visitors, so we wished to create an exhibition. When visitors enter the gallery, they can directly admire these masterpieces,” said He Shuyi, curatorial assistant of the National Museum of China.

The Uffizi Gallery in Florence is a “cradle of the Renaissance” dating back to the 16th century. Self-portraits are among its core collections of over 1,800 paintings housed in the gallery.

Self-portraits are an expression of the artist’s essence and character. It is not only a record of the artists' appearance, but also a valuable source of information for the study of the social culture of their time.

Ancient Chinese painters were not particularly interested in portraying themselves. The self-portraits they did paint were often inspired by their feelings.

In the twentieth century, self-portraits began to flourish in China, influenced by the blending of Eastern and Western painting styles. Masters such as Xu Beihong and Pan Yuliang have left many fine works.

The exhibition marks the end of the China-Italy Year of Culture and Tourism.