portriats - why???

When we have digital cameras why make a portrait any other way?

Portraits

A brief survey

"The aim of Art is to present not the outward appearance of things, but their inner significance; for this, not the external

manner and detail, constitutes true reality. - Aristotle

In ancient cultures human form was used primarily to portray the supernatural.

Venus of Willendorf, 20,000 B.C.E.

Isis/Aphrodite – 2nd century Egypt

Ancient Egypt

Egyptian painting from the time of Akhenaton 1353-35 B.C.E.

Heracles and Athena. Tondo of an Attic red-figure kylix, 480–470 BC. From Vulci

Belvedere Apollo, Greek 5 B.C.E.

As civilization grew and people became stable specialists arose as did a ruling or monied class.

Fayum Mummy Portraits dating from 1st century B.C.E.

Mughal Empire – 1526 – mid 19th century

Prince Khurram (Shah Jahan) with his son Dara Shikoh: Leaf from an album made for Emperor Shah Jahan, ca. 1620; Mughal, period of Jahangir (1605–27

Two gentlemen engrossed in conversation while two others look on, a Chinese painting on a ceramic tile from a tomb near Luoyang, Henan province, dated to the Eastern Han Dynasty (25–220 AD)

Han Dynasty Painting, 206 BCE – 220 AD

“Four Generals of Zhongxing” by Southern Song Dynasty artists Liu Songnian (1174-1224).

The official Chinese court portrait painting of the empress and wife of Song Dynasty emperor Qinzong (1100 – 1161)

Qin Shi Huangdi - "First Emperor of Qin Dynasty"

Soon after the French and American revolutions (18th century) the more common man became interested in portraiture. After all, everyone was created equal.

sillouette

Robert Cornelius, Self Portrait, 1839

Vncent van Gogh, Self Portrait, 1888

Vncent van Gogh, Self Portrait, 1889

Vncent van Gogh, Self Portrait, 1889

Henri Matisse, Madame Matisse (the Green Stripe), 1905

Henri Matisse

Henri Matisse

Pablo Picasso

Pablo Picasso

Pablo Picasso

Pablo Picasso

M.C. Esher

Giacometti

Alice Neel

Alice Neel

Ana Mendieta

Ana Mendieta

Hannah Wilke

Hannah Wilke

Cindy Sherman

Cindy Sherman

Cindy Sherman

Jenny Saville

Jenny Saville

Jenny Saville

Mauruzio Anzeri

Mauruzio Anzeri

Mauruzio Anzeri

Zhang Xiagang

Zhang Xiagang

Zhang Xiagang

Fang Lijun

Fang Lijun

Fang Lijun

Zhang Huan

Zhang Huan

Zhang Huan