Why do we make portraits?

a look at the reasons behind portrait painting

Reasons for creating a portrait

People like to look at themselves

People want to show off their families

The subject matter is always willing and able, in the case of self portraits

To represent important figures

To place a conceptual meaning on a person

To influence someones opinion about a person

We like to look at ourselves

Patrons often commission artists to create a portrait of themselves.

This was seen often in the past before the widespread use of photography.

These portraits were painted from life.

Hans Holbein the Younger, “Sir Thomas More”,1527

Holbein the Younger, “Portrait of Henry the VIII”, 1536

Original Burned in a fire 1698

Commissioned by Henry VIII

Created as a mural in the palace of whitehall

Walker Art Gallery Copy

Commissioned art- artwork payed for by a patron

Patron- someone who pays for an artwork

http://edu.warhol.org/aract_comport.html

Andy Warhol, “Tina Chow”, 1985

Andy Warhol, “Silver Liz”, 1963

http://artobserved.com/2009/06/go-see-paris-warhols-wide-world-a-retrospective-on-andy-warhol-at-the-galeries-nationales-du-grand-palais-through-july-13th-2009/

We want to show off our families

Stone Roberts, “William A. V. Cecil Family”, 1990-91

This painting is located in the Biltmore house

Shows off the family of William A. V. Cecil,

descendants of the Vanderbilt family.

http://www.biltmore.com/our_story/our_history/vanderbilt.asp

The subject matter is always willing and able

All artists create self portraits

Self portraits allow the artist to have a model who is available at any time

Self portraits allow the artists to study the face

Mary Cassatt, “Self-Portrait”, circa 1878

Hokusai, “Self-portrait”, 19th century

Hokusai, “Self-Portrait as old man”

To represent important figures

Even today well after the invention of photography, important people are represented with the arts

The painted portraits of each of our presidents can be found with a quick search of the web

Other important people represented in portraiture include: Media figures, military leaders, political leaders

Norman Rockwell, “Richard Nixon”, 1968

http://www.npg.si.edu/exh/travpres/index6.htm

Elaine De Kooning, “John F. Kennedy”, 1963

http://www.npg.si.edu/exh/travpres/index6.htm

Not all portraits of leaders have to show incredible realism

This example is created by an abstract expressionist

Mansudae art studio, Kim Jung Il, 2012

Recently in the news: statue of late North Korea leader Kim Jung Il

http://www.cp24.com/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20120214/120214_north_korea?hub=CP24Extras

To place a conceptual meaning on a person

What kinds of conceptual ideas do you see?

Conceptual:Meaning based on Idea more than representation

Notice the hand

Robert Rauschenberg, “Retroactive 1”, 1963

http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2008/05/13/arts/13cnd-rausch2.ready.html

To influence and opinion about a person

What kind of feeling does the photographer give the viewer

What do you think was the photographer’s purpose

Lewis Hine, “Breaker Boys in Coal Mine”,1911

http://www.authentichistory.com/1898-1913/2-progressivism/3-laborreform/2-hine/index.html

“Indiana Glass Works at Midnight”,1908

http://www.authentichistory.com/1898-1913/2-progressivism/3-laborreform/2-hine/index.html