Portrait

Portrait

A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expression is predominant. The intent is to display the likeness, personality, and even the mood of the person. For this reason, in photography a portrait is generally not a snapshot, but a composed image of a person in a still position. A portrait often shows a person looking directly at the painter or photographer, in order to most successfully engage the subject with the viewer.

History

The art of the portrait flourished in Ancient Greece and especially Rome, where the demands of Roman portraiture carried a strong tradition to subsequent centuries. The tradition of the portrait miniature began, which remained popular until the age of photography began to supplant it.

During the Renaissance, the portrait began to proliferate in the West. From the 15th century on, individual portraits became increasingly important. In the 20th century, the modern artist Pablo Picasso used the portrait in a non-traditional way with his piece Les Demoiselles d'Avignon.

Types of Portraits

There are several types of portraits, including: the self-portrait, the group portrait, and the portrait photography. Each type has its own unique characteristics and requires different skills and techniques to create.

Self-Portrait

A self-portrait is a representation of an artist, drawn, painted, photographed, or sculpted by the artist. Although self-portraits have been made by artists since the earliest times, it is not until the Early Renaissance in the mid-15th century that artists can be frequently identified depicting themselves as either the main subject, or as important characters in their work.

Group Portrait

A group portrait, in photography, is a picture of more than one person. It captures a group of people in a single image. The group portrait is a sub-genre of the portrait genre. It is often used in both professional and amateur photography.

Portrait Photography

Portrait photography is a popular commercial industry all over the world. Many people enjoy having professionally made family portraits to hang in their homes, or special portraits to commemorate certain events, such as graduations or weddings.

See Also

• Self-portrait
• Group portrait
• Portrait photography
• History of portrait

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