The self-portrait as Narcissistic contemplation. The case of Edvard Munch

During the course of his artistic career, Edvard Munch realized seventy-two self-portraits. In all of them we can perceive a direct reflection of his personality, of certain biographical events and of different steps in his mental illness trajectory. Indeed, the presence of the Autistic Spectrum Disorder with Catatonia influenced Munch relationships and the contents of his art. In this perspective, Narcissistic Personality Disorder is particularly relevant. The narcissistic need to feel respected, as well as the need to be accepted, nourished Munch sense of grandiosity, feeling of being special and ambition. Munch’s ambition was that of seeing his art exhibited in every important sitting room and in every museum, of seeing his art in a Narcissistic contemplation.