Our top three exhibition picks this week: the rise of the selfie and more

From how the Orient influenced a Belgian master to the genius of the Marx Brothers, here our our top exhibition picks this week.

Margaret Dumont and Groucho Marx in 1933's Duck Soup. Courtesy Everett Collection/ Rex

How the Orient influenced a Belgian master

He was at the centre of the 19th-century Belgian artistic scene. But much remains unknown and unanswered about the life and work of Jean-François Portaels. Now a new exhibition seeks to shed light on the early, formative part of his career, when he travelled the Orient between 1845 and 1847. Featuring unpublished material, sketches and travel correspondence, it examines the painter's impressions from Greece, Syria, Palestine and Egypt, and how these travels influenced his work. Portaels and the Call of the Orient runs at the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium from February 2. For more information, visit www.fine-arts-museum.be.

Explore the rise of the selfie in photography

Today someone can take a photo on their phone, post it ­online and instantly share it with millions of people across the globe. This first-ever retrospective survey of ­photography, organised by New York's Public Library, examines how the street has influenced the development of the medium. And also in what ways have we, as one of photography's primary subjects, been engaged over time. Are we risking our ­privacy in pursuing a more public photography culture as technology becomes more powerful and accessible? Public Eye: 175 Years of Sharing Photography runs at the New York Public Library until September 4. For more information, visit www.nypl.org.

Beat the January blues with comedy gold

They are, according to the BFI's Nick Bradshaw, the three-­guitar rock band, which makes Zeppo the butt-of-jokes ­drummer. But however you describe them, there is no arguing with the comedic genius of the Marx Brothers and a new season of films at the BFI will now examine the enduring appeal of their films. Duck Soup is the standout here, a satire of dictatorship and war with Groucho as the leader of fictional republic Freedonia. But other classics will also be shown, including Horse Feathers, A Night at the Opera and Monkey Business. The Best of the Marx Brothers runs from January 14 in London. For more information, visit www.bfi.org.uk.