NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Portrait painting

Portrait painting is a genre in painting, where the intent is to depict the visual appearance of the subject, mostly a person, whereas the portrait is expected to show the essence of the subject. The term 'portrait painting' can also describe a painted portrait. A genre is a division of a particular form of art according to criteria particular to that form. ... The Mona Lisa is perhaps the best-known artistic painting in the Western world. ...

Portraitists create their portraits by commission or are inspired by admiration or affection for the subject. If an artist portrayes him- or herself, the result is called a self-portrait. Portraits can depict the subject 'full body', 'half length' or 'head and shoulders'. Beside human beings, animals, pets and even houses can be chosen as the subject for a portrait.

History

Some of the earliest portraits of people who were not kings or emperors, are the funeral portraits that survived in the dry climate of Egypt's Fayum district (illustration, left). These are the only paintings of the Roman period that have survived, aside from frescos. Download high resolution version (536x915, 172 KB)Large version of portrait for Gallery of Fayum mummy portraits. ... Download high resolution version (536x915, 172 KB)Large version of portrait for Gallery of Fayum mummy portraits. ... Al Fayyum is one of the governorates of Egypt located in the centre of the country. ... Fresco by Dionisius representing Saint Nicholas. ...

The art of the portrait flourished in Roman sculptures, where sitters demanded realistic portraits, even unflattering ones. During the 4th century, the portrait began to retreat in favor of an idealized symbol of what that person looked like. (Compare the portraits of Roman Emperors Constantine I and Theodosius I at their entries.) In Europe true portraits of the outward appearance of individuals re-emerged in the late Middle Ages, in Burgundy and France. As a means of recording the passage of time, the 4th century was that century which lasted from 301 to 400. ... Contemporary bronze head of Constantine. ... On the reverse of this coin minted under Valentinian II, both Valentinian and Theodosius are depicted with halos, holding a globus cruciger. ...

The Renaissance marked a turning point in the history of portraiture. Partly out of interest in the natural world and partly out of interest in the classical cultures of ancient Greece and Rome, portraits—both painted and sculpted—were given an important role in Renaissance society. By region Italian Renaissance Spanish Renaissance Northern Renaissance English Renaissance French Renaissance German Renaissance Polish Renaissance The Renaissance, also known as Il Rinascimento (in Italian), was an influential cultural movement which brought about a period of scientific revolution, religious reform and artistic transformation, at the dawn of modern European history. ...

Portrait medals, based on the medals made in classical times, were popular in Italy. Those by Pisanello are particularly worthy of note. Artists also revived the classical practice of making portrait busts, good examples of which are the elegant sculptures of Francesco Laurana. Profile portraits, inspired by ancient medallions, were particularly popular in Italy between 1450 and 1500. Later, profile portraits depicted donors, represented in the paintings and altarpieces they had commissioned. Important portraitists include Sandro Botticelli, Raphael, and Leonardo da Vinci. One of best-known portraits in the Western world is Leonardo da Vinci's painting titled Mona Lisa, which is a painting of an unidentified woman. Perhaps the finest 16th-century portraitist was Venetian artist Titian, who portrayed many leading figures of his day. Italian Mannerist artists contributed many exceptional portraits that emphasized material richness and elegantly complex poses, as in the works of Agnolo Bronzino and Jacopo da Pontormo. One of the best portraitists of 16th-century Italy was Sofonisba Anguissola from Cremona, who infused her individual and group portraits with new levels of complexity. Categories: 1911 Britannica | Stub | Italian painters | Gothic painting | 1380 births | 1456 deaths ... Francesco Laurana [de la Vrana], (born in Vrana, near Zara [now Zadar, Croatia]; died Marseille, before 12 March 1502), was an Italian sculptor and medallist. ... This article is about Sandro Botticelli, the Italian painter. ... Self-portrait by Raphael. ... Leonardo da Vinci (Born April 15, 1452 in Vinci, Italy, and died in May 2, 1519 in Cloux, France) was an Italian Renaissance architect, musician, anatomist, inventor, engineer, sculptor, geometer, and painter. ... Leonardo da Vinci (Born April 15, 1452 in Vinci, Italy, and died in May 2, 1519 in Cloux, France) was an Italian Renaissance architect, musician, anatomist, inventor, engineer, sculptor, geometer, and painter. ... The Mona Lisa is an oil painting on poplar wood by Leonardo da Vinci and is perhaps the most famous painting in art history; few other works of art are as romanticized, celebrated, or reproduced. ... Titian. ... Mannerism is the term used to describe the artistic style that arose in mid-16th century. ... Andrea Doria as Neptune Agnolo di Cosimo (1503, Firenze – 1572, Firenze) (also known as Agnolo Bronzino and Agnolo Tori). ... Jacopo Carrucci (Pontormo, near Empoli, 1494 - 1557), usually known as Jacopo da Pontormo, or simply Pontormo, was a Florentine painter and portraitist, and one of the classic exemplars of the Mannerist style of the 16th century. ... Sofonisba Anguissola, Self-Portrait, 1554 Sofonisba Anguissola (also Anguisciola) (ca. ...

Northern European artists used the profile format far less often, and very seldom after 1420. In the Netherlands, Jan van Eyck was a leading portraitist; The Arnolfini Marriage (1434, National Gallery, London) is a detailed full-length portrait of a couple. Leading German portrait artists include Hans Holbein the Younger and Albrecht Dürer. This article or section contains information that has not been verified and thus might not be reliable. ... The Arnolfini Portrait (full title: Portrait of Giovanni Arnolfini and his Wife) is a 1434 painting by Jan van Eyck. ... National Gallery is a common name for a countrys major public art gallery. ... Hans Holbein the Younger (c. ... Self-Portrait, 1493, Oil on Canvas Albrecht DÃ¼rer (May 21, 1471 - April 6, 1528) was a German painter, wood carver, engraver, and mathematician of Hungarian ancestry. ...

During the baroque and rococo periods (17th century and 18th century, respectively), portraits became even more important. In a society dominated increasingly by secular leaders in powerful courts, images of opulently attired figures were both symbols of temporal power and wealth, and a means to affirm the authority of certain individuals. Flemish painters Sir Anthony van Dyck and Peter Paul Rubens excelled at this type of portraiture. Also during these periods, artists increasingly studied the facial expressions that accompanied different emotions and they emphasized the portrayal of these human feelings in their work. In particular, Italian sculptor Gianlorenzo Bernini and Dutch painter Rembrandt explored the many expressions of the human face. This interest fostered the creation of the first caricatures, credited to the Carracci Academy, run by painters of the Carracci family in the late 16th century in Bologna, Italy (see Annibale Carracci). Download high resolution version (750x625, 38 KB)Image from the official Rijksmuseum website. ... Download high resolution version (750x625, 38 KB)Image from the official Rijksmuseum website. ... Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (July 15, 1606 â€“ October 4, 1669) is generally considered one of the greatest painters in European art history and the most important in Dutch history. ... Adoration, by Peter Paul Rubens: dynamic figures spiral down around a void: draperies blow: a whirl of movement lit in a shaft of light, rendered in a free bravura handling of paint In the arts, Baroque (or baroque) is both a period and the artistic style that dominated it. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Self Portrait With a Sunflower Sir Anthony (Antoon) van Dyck (*March 22, 1599 - December 9, 1641) was a Flemish painter — mainly of portraits — who became the leading court painter in England. ... The Adoration of the Magi, painted 1624. ... A self portrait: Bernini is said to have used his own features in the David (below, left) Gian Lorenzo Bernini (Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini) (December 7, 1598 - November 28, 1680), who worked chiefly in Rome, was the pre-eminent baroque artist. ... Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (July 15, 1606 â€“ October 4, 1669) is generally considered one of the greatest painters in European art history and the most important in Dutch history. ... The Flight into Egypt (1603) Annibale Carracci (November 3, 1560, in Bologna - July 15, 1609, in Rome) was an Italian painter, etcher and engraver. ...

Group portraits were produced in greater numbers during the baroque period, particularly in the Netherlands. Dutch painter Frans Hals used fluid brush strokes of vivid color to enliven his group portraits, and Rembrandt experimented with unconventional compositions and chiaroscuro into the group portrait, most notably in his famous Night Watch (1642). Bernini's bust Scipione Borghese (1632) captured the subject in mid-conversation and is considered a benchmark of baroque portraiture both because of its lifelike depiction of the subject and because it showed the subject in action. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (July 15, 1606 â€“ October 4, 1669) is generally considered one of the greatest painters in European art history and the most important in Dutch history. ... Sacred Love versus Profane Love by Giovanni Baglione. ... Night Watch or Nightwatch can refer to: Night Watch, a painting by Rembrandt Night Watch, a novel in Terry Pratchetts Discworld series Night Watch, a novel in Sergey Lukyanenkos Watch trilogy Night Watch, a fictional intelligence organization in the science fiction television series Babylon 5 Nightwatch, an album... A self portrait: Bernini is said to have used his own features in the David (below, left) Gian Lorenzo Bernini (Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini) (December 7, 1598 - November 28, 1680), who worked chiefly in Rome, was the pre-eminent baroque artist. ... Cardinal Scipione Borghese (1576-1633) was an Italian Renaissance art collector and member of the noble Borghese family. ...

Rococo artists, who were particularly interested in rich and intricate ornamentation, excelled at the refined portrait. Their attention to the details of dress and texture increased the efficacy of portraits as testaments to worldly wealth. French painters François Boucher and Hyacinthe Rigaud proved to be remarkable chroniclers of opulence, as were English painters Thomas Gainsborough and Sir Joshua Reynolds. In the 18th century, female painters gained new importance, particularly in the field of portraiture. Notable female artists include French painter Élisabeth Vigée-Lebrun, Italian pastel artist Rosalba Carriera, and Swiss artist Angelica Kauffmann. Rinaldo and Armida gained Bouchers admission to the AcadÃ©mie royale FranÃ§ois Boucher (1703 in Bordeaux â€“ May 30, 1770) was a French painter, a proponent of Rococo taste, known for his idyllic and voluptuous paintings on classical themes, decorative allegories representing the arts or pastoral occupations, and several... Louis XIV King of France and Navarre By Hyacinthe Rigaud (1701) Hyacinthe Rigaud (July 20, 1659 - December 27, 1743) was a French painter. ... Self-portrait, painted 1759 Blue boy, painted 1770 This article is about the artist Thomas Gainsborough. ... Sir Joshua Reynolds Sir Joshua Reynolds (July 16, 1723–February 23, 1792) was the most important and influential of eighteenth-century English painters, specialising in portraits and promoting the Grand Style in painting which depended on idealization of the imperfect. ... Self-portrait, 1782 Marie-Louise-Ã‰lisabeth VigÃ©e-Lebrun (April 16, 1755 - March 30, 1842) was a French painter, the most famous woman painter of the 18th century. ... Portrait of a boy of the Leblond family, c. ... Angelica Kauffmann Miranda and Ferdinand in The Tempest, 1782. ...

In the late 18th century and early 19th century, neoclassical artists depicted subjects attired in the latest fashions, which were derived from ancient Greek and Roman clothing styles. The artists used light that had great clarity to define texture and the simple roundness of faces and limbs. French painters Jacques-Louis David and Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres and Italian sculptor Antonio Canova were leading practitioners of neoclassical portraiture. Neoclassicism (sometimes rendered as Neo-Classicism or Neo-classicism) is the name given to quite distinct movements in the visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres (August 29, 1780 - January 14, 1867) was a French painter. ... Antonio Canova (November 1, 1757 - October 13, 1822) was an Italian sculptor who became famous for his marble sculptures that delicately rendered nude flesh. ...

Romantic artists, who worked during the first half of the 19th century, preferred to paint exciting portraits of inspired leaders and agitated subjects, using lively brush strokes and dramatic, sometimes moody, lighting. French artists Eugène Delacroix and Théodore Géricault painted particularly fine portraits, the most noteworthy being Géricault's series of portraits of mental patients (1822-1824). Spanish painter Francisco de Goya painted some of the most searching and provocative images of the period, including La_Maja_Desnuda (1800), which is believed to be a portrait. This article is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... EugÃ¨ne Delacroix (portrait by Nadar) Ferdinand Victor EugÃ¨ne Delacroix (April 26, 1798 - August 13, 1863) was an important painter from the French romantic period. ... ThÃ©odore GÃ©ricaults Insane ThÃ©odore GÃ©ricault (September 26, 1791 in Rouen, Normandy - January 26, 1824) was a famous French painter, known for The Raft of the Medusa and other paintings. ... This article is about Francisco Goya, a Spanish painter. ... La Maja Desnuda (The Nude Maja) is a oil painting on canvas by the master Spanish painter, Francisco de Goya, that portrays a nude woman reclining on a bed of pillows. ...

The realist artists of the mid-19th century created objective portraits depicting ordinary people. French painter Gustave Courbet created many realistic portraits, while French artist Honoré Daumier produced many caricatures of his contemporaries. French artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec chronicled some of the famous dancers in the theater. French painter Édouard Manet, whose work hovers between realism and impressionism, was a portraitist of outstanding insight and technique. Realism is commonly defined as a concern for fact or reality and rejection of the impractical and visionary. ... Gustave Courbet (portrait by Nadar) Jean DÃ©sirÃ© Gustave Courbet (June 10, 1819 â€“ December 31, 1877) was a French painter. ... HonorÃ© Daumier (portrait by Nadar) HonorÃ© Daumier (1808 â€“ 1879) was a French caricaturist and painter. ... Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. ... Ã‰douard Manet (portrait by Nadar) Ã‰douard Manet (January 23, 1832 â€“ April 30, 1883) was a French painter. ... Impressionism was a 19th century art movement that began as a loose association of Paris-based artists who began publicly exhibiting their art in the 1860s. ...

The impressionists of the late 19th century relied on family and friends to model for them and painted intimate groups and single figures represented either outdoors or in light-filled interiors. French painters Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, and Pierre Auguste Renoir created some of the most popular images of individual sitters. Noted for their shimmering surfaces and rich dabs of paint, these portraits are often disarmingly intimate and very appealing. American artist Mary Cassatt, who worked in France, was noted for her engaging portraits of mothers and children. Paul Gauguin and Vincent van Gogh, both postimpressionist artists of the late 19th century to early 20th century, painted revealing portraits of people they knew, but they are best known for their powerful self-portraits. Early 20th-century artists expanded the repertoire of portraiture. Fauvist artist Henri Matisse produced powerful portraits using nonnaturalistic, even garish, colors for skin tones. Spanish artist Pablo Picasso painted many portraits, including several cubist portraits, in which the likeness of the subject is inferior to the stylistic appearance. Expressionist painters provided some of the most haunting and compelling psychological studies ever produced. German artists such as Otto Dix and Max Beckmann, as well as Austrian painter Oskar Kokoschka, produced notable examples of expressionist portraiture. ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (640x804, 268 KB) Vincent van Gogh, Paris, FrÃ¼hjahr 1887: Selbstbildnis (Ã–l auf Karton, 42 x 33,7 cm) Chicago, The Art Institute of Chicago File links The following pages link to this file: Vincent van Gogh Portrait Categories: Vincent van... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (640x804, 268 KB) Vincent van Gogh, Paris, FrÃ¼hjahr 1887: Selbstbildnis (Ã–l auf Karton, 42 x 33,7 cm) Chicago, The Art Institute of Chicago File links The following pages link to this file: Vincent van Gogh Portrait Categories: Vincent van... Vincent Willem van Gogh (March 30, 1853 â€“ July 29, 1890) was a Dutch painter, generally considered one of the greatest painters in European art history. ... Download high resolution version (575x803, 94 KB)Portrait de Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler by Pablo Picasso (1910) The two-dimensional work of art depicted in this image is in the public domain in the United States. ... Download high resolution version (575x803, 94 KB)Portrait de Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler by Pablo Picasso (1910) The two-dimensional work of art depicted in this image is in the public domain in the United States. ... Young Pablo Picasso Pablo Ruiz Picasso (Full name) (October 25, 1881 in MÃ¡laga, Spain â€“ April 8, 1973) was a Spanish painter and sculptor. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (606x710, 39 KB) The artist has kindly agreed to provide these photographs of his works to the Commons. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (606x710, 39 KB) The artist has kindly agreed to provide these photographs of his works to the Commons. ... Frans Thomas Koppelaar (April 23, 1943), Dutch painter, was born at The Hague. ... Impressionism was a 19th century art movement that began as a loose association of Paris-based artists who began publicly exhibiting their art in the 1860s. ... It has been suggested that Alice HoschedÃ© be merged into this article or section. ... Edgar Degas Edgar Degas (July 19, 1834 â€“ September 27, 1917) was a French painter and sculptor. ... Pierre-Auguste Renoir (February 25, 1841 - December 3, 1919) was a preeminent French painter. ... The Childs Bath (The Bath). ... EugÃ¨ne Henri Paul Gauguin (June 8, 1848 â€“ May 9, 1903) was a leading Post-Impressionist painter. ... Vincent Willem van Gogh (March 30, 1853 â€“ July 29, 1890) was a Dutch painter, generally considered one of the greatest painters in European art history. ... A Hundred Years of Independence by Henri Rousseau Post-impressionism is a term applied to painting styles of the late 19th and early 20th centuries â€” after impressionism. ... The Dessert: Harmony in Red (1908) by Henri Matisse Les Fauves (French for wild beasts), a short-lived and loose grouping of early Modern artists whose works emphasized painterly qualities, and the use of deep color over the representational values retained by Impressionism. ... Photo of Henri Matisse taken by Carl Van Vechten, 1933 Henri Matisse (December 31, 1869 â€“ November 3, 1954) was a French artist, particularly noted for his striking use of colour. ... Young Pablo Picasso Pablo Ruiz Picasso (Full name) (October 25, 1881 in MÃ¡laga, Spain â€“ April 8, 1973) was a Spanish painter and sculptor. ... Woman with a guitar by Georges Braque, 1913 Cubist house in Prague Cubism was probably the most important and influential art movement since the Italian Renaissance; it was an avant-garde art movement that revolutionized European painting and sculpture in the early 20th century. ... The Scream by Edvard Munch (1893) which inspired 20th century Expressionists Portrait of Eduard Kosmack by Egon Schiele Rehe im Walde by Franz Marc On White II by Wassily Kandinsky, 1923. ... Otto Dix (December 2, 1891 - July 25, 1969) was a German expressionist and anti-war painter and a veteran of the First World War. ... Max Beckmann. ... Oskar Kokoschka (March 1, 1886-February 22, 1980) was an Austrian artist and poet, best known for his intense expressionistic portraits and landscapes. ...

Portrait production in Europe and the Americas declined in the middle of the 20th century, a result of the increasing interest in abstraction and nonfigurative art. More recently, however, there has been a revival of portraiture. English artists such as Lucian Freud and Francis Bacon have produced powerful paintings. Many contemporary American artists, such as Chuck Close, have made the human face a focal point of their work. Lucian Freud, OM, CH (born December 8, 1922) is a British painter and printmaker. ... Sir Francis Bacon For other people named Francis Bacon, see Francis Bacon (disambiguation). ... Chuck Close (born July 5, 1940, Monroe, Washington) is an American photorealistic painter. ...

The end of the 20th century marked a revival of figurative art and as a side effect the market for painted and sculpted portraits increased significantly. Beside the market for corporate and clerical portraits, that has been quite stable through the ages, it became common practice for the middle-class to commission portraits of children, beloved ones, whole families or even pets.

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