PortraitsinArt

Portraits in Art: 

Portraits in Art

The history of portraits: 

The history of portraits Historically portraits were made just as we take photographs today. Before the invention of photography in the 19th century painting was the only way to get a colour picture. Only the rich could afford painted pictures so most early portraiture was of wealthy patrons. Only rich artists could afford to spend the time doing self portraits

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Italian Renaissance artist Domenico Ghirlandaio ran a popular and successful workshop in Florence, painting many frescos and portraits. As well as religious themes, he often depicted scenes of everyday Florentine life. Old Man with His Grandson was painted in 1480 and is now in the Musée du Louvre, Paris.

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Leonardo da Vinci ‘Mona Lisa’ 1503- 1506 Leonardo da Vinci was known not only as a masterful painter but as an architect, sculptor, engineer, and scientist. His pursuit of knowledge was relentless and his discoveries left lasting changes in the fields of art and science. With his sophisticated skills and love for learning, Leonardo was the quintessential renaissance man.

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Portrait of Pope Innocent X (1649-1650) Diego Velázquez (1599-1660) In its vigorous brushwork and concern for psychological characterization, Velázquez’s work reflects the sensibilities of the Baroque era.

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Titian ‘Portrait of Doge Andrea Gritti’ 1544-45 From the 1530s, working under royal and aristocratic patronage, Titian produced portraits that are images of command rather than explorations of personality.

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Dutch painter Judith Leyster, a pupil of Frans Hals, painted many portraits, still-life subjects, and genre scenes. The relaxed poses and expressive brushwork seen in Laughing Children with a Cat (1629) clearly show the influence of Hals.

Rembrandt van RijnSelf Portrait1660Rembrandt painted a large number of self-portraits throughout his life; the later ones in particular are noted for their psychological depth and the artist’s technical skill in the use of chiaroscuro. : 

Rembrandt van Rijn Self Portrait 1660 Rembrandt painted a large number of self-portraits throughout his life; the later ones in particular are noted for their psychological depth and the artist’s technical skill in the use of chiaroscuro.

Rembrandt van RijnSelf Portrait1669This one (National Gallery, London) was painted in 1669, the last year of his life. : 

Rembrandt van Rijn Self Portrait 1669 This one (National Gallery, London) was painted in 1669, the last year of his life.

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The burning eyes of this Self Portrait by Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) exemplify the way the artist attempted to capture the human essence and emotions of his subjects. During the last years of his life, van Gogh painted a number of self-portraits. The expressive brushstrokes and vibrant colours in these paintings are typical of his later style.

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Austrian Expressionist painter Oskar Kokoschka is known for his psychologically perceptive portraits and colourful landscapes. Self-Portrait (1913)

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Amedeo Modigliani associated with artists living and working in Paris, yet his work shows little connection with the major art movements of his time. Modigliani developed an individualistic style in which subjects are depicted with sinuous lines, flat forms, and elongated proportions. These elements combined to produce the almost classical effect seen in his figure studies and portraits, such as in Madame Zborowska (1918) .

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Frida Kahlo is best known for her very personal self-portraits. In these works she depicts herself impassively staring at the viewer, often surrounded by references to the painful circumstances of her life. Kahlo also celebrated her Mexican identity in her artwork by using a painting style based on native popular art and by incorporating representations of Mexican flora and fauna as well as references to the Pre-Columbian civilizations of Mexico, as seen here in Self-Portrait with Monkey (1940).

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Self Portrait 1998 This highly digitally enhanced image is part of a series produced by the artist.