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Showing posts with label portrait artists. Show all posts
Showing posts with label portrait artists. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Who discovered portrait painting?

A SHORT HISTORY OF PORTRAIT PAINTING


Painting has been portrayed for as long as there has been painting. Portrait paintings were believed to have originated in ancient Egypt, where artworks reach back at least 5,000 years (although many other ancient peoples also practiced portrait artistry).

Portraits are defined by the Tate Modern museum as simply a “representation of a specific person”. Paintings are not the only way artists can create portraits. Sculptures, photos and drawings are also considered portraits as long as the art aims to depict the expression, likeness or mood of a particular person.

2144-2124 BC



STATUE OF GUDEA - THE MET MUSEUM

Some of the earliest known portraits are called the “Statues of Gudea”. 28 of these little statues remain and are considered portraiture because they all have similar features which appear to be representative of and unique to Gudea - a powerful ruler of ancient Lagash.

55-79 AD



Ancient portrait murals from Pompeii have been well-preserved for almost 2000 years by lava and ashes. One of the most famous is titled “Terentius Neo and his wife”. He holds a scroll and her a tablet - originally thought to be indicative of their status andeducation. Historians of today now disagree on Terentius Neo’s profession, some claiming him as a law student while others believe he was a baker (http://www.portrait-masters.com/history/).

985 AD



During the renaissance and middle ages, portrait artistry began to take on a new form. Rather than highly realistic features of their subjects, artists of this time tended to create portraits with stereotypical facial expressions, flat backgrounds, and a lack of realism (portrait-masters.com).

1503 AD



In 1503 AD, Leonardo da Vinci created perhaps the most iconic portrait of modern art history: the Mona Lisa. Da Vinci used a different technique than many other painters of this time. Instead of hard and very realistic lines, da Vinci used soft and blended brush strokes. While the Mona Lisa is an incredible painting with her playful smirk and expressive eyes, this painting probably got most of its notability due to its infamous theft in 1911. During this era, only the wealthy, powerful, and those with status could afford a portrait painting. Paints and canvas were hard to come by, and had to be made by apprentices in a studio.

Mid to Late 1800s



VINCENT VAN GOGH SELF-PORTRAIT 1887

With the Industrial Revolution came mass production of art supplies. This meant that for the first time, middle class families could afford to purchase supplies and learn to paint. Notable French painters such as Gustave Courbet and Honoré Daumier were part of the Social Realism movement, and for the first time depicted portraits of the middle and working classes at the time. This is also the time when the Impressionists and Post Impressionists began questioning the nature of portrait artistry, and pushing their artistic boundaries.

Perhaps the two most revolutionary artists of this period were Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Gauguin. Both created portraits in the late 1800’s that were shockingly different than any portraits that had been created up until this time (craftsy.com).

Early 1900s

During this time, artists began exploring the inner psyche of their sitter, more so than their facial features or expressions. Portraiture emerged as an exploration into human psychology, with artists such as Matisse and Picasso playing with color, line, and form like never before.



PABLO PICASSO PORTRAIT OF DORA MAAR 1937

1960s



ANDY WARHOL MARILYN MONROE 1962

In the mid-1900s, portrait artistry began to become less popular - instead making way for abstract and conceptual arts. In the 1960s, however, artists such as Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein brought portraits back to the limelight with the introduction of pop-art.

Today




Artist Rajkumar Sthabathy uses watercolors to capture the essence of India. Within his expressive paintings, Sthabathy depicts candid scenes witnessed on the streets of his homeland. There are the rickshaw drivers who make their way through crowded streets, vendors who work to sell their wares, and pedestrians who offer the painter a candid smile that shines through his work. No matter who he's painting, Sthabathy always manages to impressively depict raw emotion as he aims to capture the reality of India.

Perhaps the form of portrait artistry that is most widely practiced today is the art of the selfie. With our cell phones, we have all become expert portrait artists, snapping photos of those we love and ourselves in a variety of places and situations. In the art world, portrait artistry and portrait paintings continue to be a popular art form that can take many, many different approaches and forms.

Credit-ARTIST CHRISTINA CARMEL