Notes on Portraiture

Portrait – Tate London Article

• Portraits precede the invention of photography as a mode to capture one’s appearance
• They reveal one’s power, wealth, virtue, etc.
• Portraits were designed to be flattering and therefore were not necessarily a completely truthful depiction of someone
• Painting by commission (by the wealthy/powerful) used to be the only way to get a portrait done, however nowadays it is more affordable and common

Why are portraits so important in art history? – Article

• Portraiture was a way to make money – individuals who wanted to be immortalised would pay for their faces to be on canvas potentially forever
• Each detail in a portrait holds some sort of significance. The artist may have painted the subject with specific clothing, a certain facial expression, or with surrounding objects (eg. symbols) which tell us about how the artist wanted to portray them or how the subject wanted to be presented
• Portraits give the audience an insight into the artists internal life and thought-processes. This is especially evident amongst self-portraits

Portraiture in Renaissance and Baroque Europe – The Met Article

• Accurate portraiture stems back from ancient Greece and Rome, later reemerging in 15th century Europe
• Portraiture in this era intended to “depict the unique appearance of a particular person” but also “seeks to bring out whatever the sitter has in common with the rest of humanity” – Erwin Panofsky
• Certain angles and postures of the subject connoted different interpretations (eg. three quarter face for greater engagement between sitter and viewer)

The History of Portraits – Video

• The 13th century gave rise to the term ‘portraiture’ (meaning to ‘show a likeness’) along with the popularity of portraiture
• Portrait photography overtook painting portraiture in the same way that selfies have become its latest form
• Portraiture gives us the ability to ‘time travel’ to when the image was created, and somewhat satisfy any curiosity we have about human nature

Summary Questions:

What is a Portrait? 

A portrait is a depiction of an individual’s appearance and identity. It captures one’s essence at a specific point in time and can reflect the artist’s perception or subject’s own perception of themselves. Portraits have the ability to reflect certain characteristics of an individual and humanity as a whole.

Who or what, historically, would have been the subjects of portraiture?

Donors who could afford to commission a painting would be featured in pieces and get portraits done of themselves. This meant that powerful and influential figures such as kings and aristocrats tended to be the subject of portraits. However, as time progressed, portraits became more mainstream and available to the middle class.

Why are portraits considered to be important in art history?

Portraits provides us with a glimpse into life in a specific time frame and how the painted/sculpted individuals were perceived. The visual representation of the subject gives us insight into how they held themselves, the relationship between artist and subject, and the social status/image they projected in a way that other historical documentation cannot. Historical portraiture also helps contextualise any social conceptions or notions we have of the subject based on the setting, surrounding objects, and intricate details of the portrait.