13 Artists’ Portraits of Sylvia Plath (Including Her Own)

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.

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

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.

Sylvia Plath by Cindy Song

See more of Cindy Song’s portraits of women authors on the same page

Sylvia Plath by Melinda Hagman

See more of Melinda’s literary portraits on her site

Sylvia Plath by Mark McFadden

See more of Mark McFadden’s portraits

Sylvia Plath by Saheli Khastagir

See more of this artist’s portraits

Sylvia Plath by Richard L Dixon

See more art by Richard L Dixon

Sylvia Plath by Kim Cypert

See more of Kim Cypert’s portraits

Sylvia Plath by Kat Himmel

See more of Kat Himmel’s portraits on the same page

Sylvia Plath by Sophie Herxheimer 

See more about Sophie Herxheimer’s books and art

Sylvia Plath by Katy Horan

See more about Literary Witches by Taisia Kitaiskaia, Illustrated by Katy Horan

Sylvia Plath by Allison Adams

See more portraits by Allison Adams

Sylvia Plath by IsMiseKate

Sylvia Plath by Nina Wadhouse

Eye Rhymes: Sylvia Plath’s Art of the Visual by Kathleen Connors on Amazon

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

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