History of Portraits

Portrait photography or portraiture photography capturing the likeness of a person or a small group of people, in which the face and expression is predominant, though the body and background may be included. The objective is to display the likeness, personality, and even the mood of the subject. A portrait often shows a person looking directly at the camera.

Unlike many other photography styles, the subjects of portrait photography are often non-professional models. Family portraits commemorating special occasions, such as graduations or weddings, may be professionally produced and are most often intended for private viewing rather than for public exhibition.

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Aritist Portraits

Mona Lisa, painted in 1503-1519 with oil by the artist Leonardo DaVinchi.
She sits upright with her arms folded, which is also a sign of her reserved posture. Only her gaze is fixed on the observer and seems to welcome him to this silent communication. Since the brightly lit face is practically framed with various much darker elements (hair, veil, shadows), the observer's attraction to it is brought to even greater extent.
Detail of Lisa's hands, her right hand resting on her left. Leonardo chose this gesture rather than a wedding ring to depict Lisa as a virtuous woman and faithful wife.

The painting Girl with a Pearl Earring is one of Dutch painter, Johannes Vermeer's masterworks (painted around 1665) and as the name implies, he has used the pearl earring as the focal point.

Van Gogh created many self-portraits during his lifetime. He was a prolific self-portraitist, who painted himself 37 times between 1886 and 1889

 

          

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