‘You can see affection, love, respect, rivalry’: what happens when artists paint each other?

Artists have long painted other artists, creating a unique subgenre known as portraits of artists themselves—a dynamic that blurs the lines between subject and observer. These works, from Raphael’s *The School of Athens* to Chantal Joffe’s *Seeing Each Other*, reveal deep personal connections, shared histories, and relationships that extend beyond mere depiction of art. They reflect not only the subjects’ influences and lives but also their societal contexts, offering a window into the human side of art through self-portraits, group works, and commissions spanning centuries.