The alluring gaze, enigmatic smile and warm darkness that cloaks Madeleine Colt’s Self-portrait, is designed to draw us in and transport us back in time. Colt is fascinated with art history and appropriating artist practices from centuries ago. Her use of chiaroscuro (light and shade) and a traditional triangular composition, as seen in many Renaissance pieces, demonstrates this influence. By highlighting the hands and face, Colt acknowledges her love for the physical act of painting.