Portrait Painting

What is portrait painting? This can be explained asWith the introduction of photography in the 19th
follows: This kind of painting typically depicts aand 20th centuries and the modern
person's face, from there, the word "portrait"communication methods portrait painting changed
originates. Furthermore, there are many portraits,fundamentally. Since then, also "normal" people,
old and new ones, on which you can see thewho are striving for a little bit of preservation,
portraitee's whole body. A portrait is painted withand who want to have themselves or their
the intention to show all characteristics andbeloved ones painted on a canvas, can have it
features. The painter tries to emphasize thesedone at affordable prices.
details in a portrait. Upon the portraitee's request,In today's contract painting, especially portraits of
little blemishes and other visible details can bechildren, grandchildren, parents and grandparents
omitted once in a while. They are simply keptare very popular. In addition to that, depictions of
"secret" as painters would call it.beloved domestic animals, fancy cars or favorite
Already in ancient times (four thousand years BC)landscapes are widely asked for.
high standing personalities had themselvesNowadays, the ones who can afford it, order a
preserved for posterity. Portrait painting originatedportrait painting as an individual birthday present.
in ancient Egypt, as many pictures in the pyramidsGood painters paint these portraits in such a
of deceased show, but only in Greece this genreprecise way that their similarity with the originals
came to perfection.is astonishing and almost have the effect of
However, portrait painting was pushed into thephotos.
background for a long time (until Renaissance) inEven changes are possible according to individual
favor of sculpture.demands Upon request, small blemishes can be
The main period of portrait painting only beganomitted, as we have already mentioned above.
with the Italian painting of high Renaissance, e. g.What characterizes a good portrait painter? A
by artists like Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo,portrait painter must be able to paint a person
Raffael and Tizian.with all his important features. He must be able to
In the following centuries, portrait paintingdepict exactly what is really visible. You cannot
blossomed totally. For example, in the 17thsimply go and change a portraitee's features,
century, Peter Paul Rubens was a contract painterbecause then the result would no longer be a
in great demand. The ones who could afford itportrait. In the moment of portrayal, the person
had themselves preserved for posterity by thiswho has himself portrayed offers the painter a
painter of Baroque, who was already those daysspecial depiction of himself with his own details
well known.and features. Good painters are able to reach
Today, only a few people can afford an originalexactly this what has been described above. This
painting made by an artist's hand. And an originalcharacterizes them.
Rubens painting is even more utopia.