Starting from the question of the legitimacy of self-presentation in the late 20th century, the author explores the extent to which the genre has reached its limits through the discourses of postmodern philosophy. Contents: I. Theoretical Concepts; The Self-Portrait and the Paradigm of Modernity; The Contemporary Crisis of the Subject; On the Existential Possibilities of a Contemporary Self-Portrait; II. The Question of the Medium; Media Diversity; The Photography Boom; Autographic Painting and Allographic Photography; Transforming Oneself into an Image; III. Coordinates of Self-Presentation; Shifted Concepts; The Artist as Producer; The Mirror as an Instrument of Self-Presentation; Paths of Participation: The Viewer; Gazing and Being Gazed Upon; Featured Artists: Francesco Clemente, Jiøi Georg Dokoupil, Rainer Fetting, Günther Förg, Nan Goldin, Bettin.