In 1433, the artist Jan van Eyck in Bruges Studio created a new painting, this painting was invented by German engineer high quality mirror. The mirror was a high-tech product, it is covered with a layer of Tin-mercury compounds of coated glass. Compared with the previous mirror, new German mirror image was much sharper, it is this advantage was created by van Eyck self-portrait of this new form of painting.

In the next 100 years, the Renaissance in Europe around bloom, self-portraits became a kind of fashion here. Both artist and mathematician Albrecht Dürer in the late 15th century, early 16th century a series of self-portraits became a classic. Time to go to the 19th century, Impressionist van Gogh self-portrait was to become more representative of the new wave. Claus-Christian Carbon University cognitive scientist believes that portrait is now the wave of self-prophecy, no filters and retouching tools instead of a traditional brush.

Carbon has the self timer has an interesting new study, in which he explores the relationship between a self-timer and self-portrait in and pointed out that human motives to do-we want people to see his own. Carbon think u RER d early self-portraits, many of the details are in his own wealth, as a symbol of the fur collar of the social elite. Funny thing is, 1500 d u RER portraits himself, his social status he could not open fur collar, did he get a corresponding title of the year. Thus, painting fur collar in the portrait belonged to brag, just like contemporary photos with mirrors luxury car standards.

With a variety of symbolic intention and twisted facial portrait was intended to capture the artist's emotions and sympathy towards the Viewer. Perhaps this is why Frida Kahlo (who suffered from a serious car accident, which resulted in her spine, clavicle, broken ribs, broken pelvis and 11 fractures in his right leg) has appeared in the most famous self-portrait thorn necklace, black monkeys and black causes. If today, Frida Kahlo might have a Snapchat filter to express their detachment and struggles.

Biggest difference to say self-portraits and self-portraits, is the time and money it takes to create. Four centuries ago, wants to complete a self-portrait, it will take at least several months, painting materials used are also expensive. Even when photography was born 150 years ago, wants to complete a photo it will take at least 10 minutes, each time using Flash, also breaking a light bulb. More importantly, at that time wanted to find the right camera angle and set the Pose, it is a trouble (old silver salt camera without viewfinder).

Another achievement that self portrait feat of technological progress is the birth of a front-facing camera, which paired with big-screen and special APP, it can take a few seconds to sell photos of the person. Carbon points out that modern self portrait of Kahlo's self-portraits have the same psychological needs, which are mixtures of images and imagination to express themselves, all the complex feelings into a photograph. In a sense, add pictures with the Snapchat filter is upgraded version of the portrait of the Renaissance.

1433年，艺术家Jan van Eyck在布鲁日的工作室发明了一种全新画作，而让这种画作得以面世的是德国工程师发明的高品质镜子。这种镜子在当时可是高科技产品，它是表面覆盖了一层锡汞化合的镀膜玻璃。与此前的镜子相比，新的德国镜子映像要锐利的多，正是这样的优势让van Eyck创造了自画像这种全新的绘画形式。

在随后的100年中，文艺复兴在欧洲大地四处绽放，自画像在这里成了一种时尚。既是艺术家又是数学家的Albrecht Dürer在15世纪末、16世纪初的一系列自画像成了一代经典。时间转到19世纪，梵高的印象派自画像更是成了新浪潮的代表。班堡大学认知科学家Claus-Christian Carbon认为，自画像是现今自拍风潮的预言，不过滤镜和各种修图工具代替了传统的画笔。

Carbon曾针对自拍有一项有趣的新研究，在论文中他探讨了自拍与自画像之间的关系，并指出人类这样做的动机——我们想让别人看到自己心目中的自己。Carbon认为，Dürer早期的自画像中有许多细节都是在彰显自己的富裕，如象征社会精英的毛领。有趣的是，1500年Dürer给自己画像时，他的社会地位让他无法公开带毛领，今年后他才拿到相对应的头衔。因此，在自画像中画上毛领也属于自吹自擂，就像当代自拍照中一同出镜的豪车车标一样。

带有各种象征性意向和扭曲面部表情的自画像意在捕捉艺术家当时的感情，并争取观者的同情。也许这就是Frida Kahlo（曾遭遇到一起严重的车祸，这造成了她脊柱、锁骨、肋骨断裂，骨盆破碎，右腿11处骨折）最著名的自画像中出现了荆棘项链、黑猴子和黑猫的原因。如果换到今天，Frida Kahlo可能会用Snapchat的滤镜来表达自己的超然和挣扎。

要说自画像与自拍最大的区别，恐怕是创作所花时间和金钱。四个世纪之前，想完成一幅自画像，至少要花几个月时间，用到的画材也价格不菲。即使是150年前摄影技术刚刚诞生时，想完成一张照片也至少要花10分钟，每次用到闪光灯，还会碎一个灯泡。最重要的是，在那个时代想找到合适的自拍角度并摆好Pose，实在是个麻烦事（古老的银盐相机可没有取景器）。

另一个成就如今自拍神技的技术进步则是前置摄像头的诞生，它与大屏幕和特殊的APP搭配，几秒钟就能拍出让人心满意足的自拍照。Carbon指出，现代的自拍与Kahlo的自画像都有相同的心理需求，它们都在用具象性和想象力的混合物来表达自我，所有的自我呈现都将复杂的感情融进了一张照片。从某种意义上来说，加了Snapchat滤镜的自拍照只是文艺复兴时期自画像的升级版而已。