Automimesis or the idea that every painter paints himself was a notion that was frequently voiced in the art literature of the Italian Renaissance. Initially thought to be a defect of painters which threatened the faithful imitation of nature, the corporeal or spiritual similarity between an artist and his work was soon to become a facet that was seen positive. Considering biographies of artists, art treatises, and artworks, this book explores the reasons for this paradigmatic shift and shows how ideas from the early modern period continue to shape our modern understanding of the autonomy of the arts.