13 Artists’ Portraits of Sylvia Plath (Including Her Own)
By Taylor Jasmine | On August 31, 2018 | Updated February 9, 2024 | Comments (1)
Sylvia Plath’s meteoric posthumous rise as a pre-eminent American poet has eclipsed the fact that she was a talented artist as well. When she initially enrolled at Smith College, her first choice of major was studio art. After discovering her talent for writing, her professors encouraged her to major in English instead.
It took a long time for her visual art to come to light. The Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery mounted a retrospective of her work in 2017, fifty-four years after her death.
A few of the works were self-portraits, including the one at right, and the first one, below. She also enjoyed making collages that were playful and satiric.
Sylvia Plath’s brief, complicated, and brilliant life has earned her a prominent place in American letters. Numerous artists have paid tribute to her by interpreting her likeness in visual form. Here are just a few artists’ portraits of Sylvia Plath from around the web.
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Self-Portrait in Semi-Abstract Style by Sylvia Plath, ink and gouache on paper c. 1946 – 1952
Estate of Robert Hittel © Estate of Sylvia Plath
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Sylvia Plath by Cindy Song
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Sylvia Plath by Melinda Hagman
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Sylvia Plath by Mark McFadden
See more of Mark McFadden’s portraits
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Sylvia Plath by Saheli Khastagir
See more of this artist’s portraits
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Sylvia Plath by Richard L Dixon
See more art by Richard L Dixon
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Sylvia Plath by Kim Cypert
See more of Kim Cypert’s portraits
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Sylvia Plath by Kat Himmel
See more of Kat Himmel’s portraits on the same page
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Sylvia Plath by Sophie Herxheimer
See more about Sophie Herxheimer’s books and art
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Sylvia Plath by Katy Horan
See more about Literary Witches by Taisia Kitaiskaia, Illustrated by Katy Horan
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Sylvia Plath by Allison Adams
See more portraits by Allison Adams
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Sylvia Plath by IsMiseKate
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Sylvia Plath by Nina Wadhouse
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More about Sylvia Plath on this site
- The Tragic Relationship of Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes
- Quotes from The Bell Jar
- Sylvia Plath’s Suicide Note: Death Knell, or a Cry for Help?
- 10 of Sylvia Plath’s Best-Loved Poems
- Fascinating Facts About Sylvia Plath
Thanks for the connection.