This Courbet painting looks like Johnny Depp. Not a problem, really, just fascinating. As more people go to movies than to museums always and always, we all shout, "hey it looks like Johnny Depp" and maybe Johnny Depp says, "Hey I look like Gus Courbet."
I guess the ravaging-artist-genius look is one that hasn't changed much from 1845 to 2007. Something about the intensity of this self-portait of the artist as a hair-puller, eyes wide open, wrists exposed makes me want to head to New York and spend some hours staring at Courbet. The Met can use this dead-ringer for sexy movie star to pull in visitors and not pay the actor a dime. John May blogged this years ago, smarter and with a better picture.
And maybe we all have an historical doppelganger, maybe our appearances are never as distinctively original as we hope...