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A Short History of the Portrait

Portraits have recorded identity, status, intimacy, and political power in many forms.

By Editorial Team

A Short History of the Portrait

A portrait can be a likeness, but it can also be a performance. Clothing, posture, setting, and objects all communicate how a person wants to be seen or how a patron wants them remembered.

From painted panels to photographs and digital images, portraiture remains a negotiation between presence and representation. The face is only one part of the story.

Further reading: Encyclopaedia Britannica