Artists, like photographers, make choices about how they see the subject. Chuck Close at work

Now that we have seen ways that the photographer views a portrait, we will take a look at how different artists of may cultures in history have painted a portrait.

Some of the earliest known portraits have been found in Egyptian tombs, such as this painting of a woman made over 2,000 years ago.

Following the laws of the day, this portrait and others was painted in profile, or side view. The details of jewelry, wig and head ornament contrast with the smoothly painted faces.

Powerful emperors of China were also recorded in paintings on silk. Costume, headwear, and throne all indicate the importance of this person.

“Portrait of a Youth” Filippino Lippi He has painted a red cap and pleated tunic as details of color and texture, while the window in the background creates a ‘frame” within the painting.

During the Middle Ages in Europe, most artist portrayed religious subject. During the 15 th century, a change occurred with a rebirth in learning and a celebration of life on earth. This period is called the Renaissance, and it reached its height in Italy.

Another Italian painter of portraits was a young woman names Sofonisba Anguissola. Here she has painted her sisters playing chess. Notice the views of each face and different expressions. A nanny peers at the game from the background.

“Summer” by Arcimboldo

“Juno” by Rembrandt van Rijn One of the greatest portrait artists of all time, the Dutch artist Rembrandt... This woman is a queen of great beauty and gentleness. Notice the exciting brushwork in her cape, hair and sleeves. Rembrandt used dramatic lighting to highlight the subject and simplify the background.

Albrecht Durer Portrait

Each culture has developed special ways of seeing. During the 1700’s and 1800s, European artist began to take interest in art and cultures far from their shores. This is a Japanese print that advertised the famous Kabuki theater. Rather than seeing their faces in 3 dimensions we see the expressiveness and action of these 2 actors through simple, careful lines and shapes.

Vincent van Gogh studied Japanese prints. He used and “electric” brush stroke to introduce color and excitement in his work. Here he has included the tools of his trade. He wrote that he cut off most of his hair and his beard after this painting. (letter to his brother, Theo)

“Girl Arranging Her Hair” by Mary Cassatt Mary Cassatt painted with loose, soft brush strokes of color. She chose mothers and their children for many of her subjects. This is a very informal, unposed view of a young girl fixing her hair. Notice the wall paper in the background. It is Japanese in design.

“Girl with Peonies” by Frederic Bazille This portrait is more posed. Flowers are often used in portraits and have been throughout the ages.

Sih-Chida (Yellow Feather), Mandan Man, Karl Bodmer Karl Bodmer was a German artist who was asked to record the people and territories of this mysterious land across the ocean. He uses a paint medium that was well suited for travelling: watercolor. This portrait is a full length view.

Egon Schiele “Self Portrait” War can play an important role in the way an artist portrays the human face. In this self-portrait, we get the feeling that Schiele was very eccentric, and not at all at peace. His wild eyes and hair give us a very different view of a portrait.

“Head of Christ” by Emil Nolde This is a woodcut using only black ink.

“Femme a la Resille” Pablo Picasso Picasso was an artist born in Spain. He worked in nearly every medium, from ceramics to printmaking to drawing. He collected art from Africa. He was not afraid to see new colors in the faces he painted. He knew art is all about seeing things in a new way. This portrait is of a woman seated in a room seen from Picasso’s unique viewpoint.

“The False Mirror” by Rene Magritte Here is a painting of just one part of a portrait, the eye! This paintings belongs to and artist who was interested in painting dreams and fantasies. He was a Surrealist.

Rene Magritte “The Portrait”

“Woman V” by Willem de Kooning A group of artists called the Expressionists began to apply paint in bold, angry strokes, expressing some of their feelings through the quality of their brush strokes and through unusual color.

These woman are not “pretty” paintings. They are active. Stroke sweep the canvas almost like a sword fight. This painting is less a portrait of one person than it is a painting of action and emotion.

“Portrait of Leo Castelli” by Andy Warhol Here, Warhol has taken a newspaper photograph of a contemporary New York art gallery owner, enlarge it, and painted on top of it. He has made a new portrait from an older one.

Michael Jackson by Andy Warhol

Andy Warhol “Self- Portrait

“Self Portrait, Strangulation” Andy Warhol

Alex Katz is another “pop” artist of Warhol’s era. His work is huge in size. Katz sometimes painted portraits the size of billboards. In this close-up of a man named Stanley, he uses analogous colors on the face. Is skin one tone?

So, skin is not usual ly all one tone. Alex Katz

“Self-Portrait” by Audrey Flack Flack is a painter known mostly for her large stilllifes, but here she has painted a portrait of herself. She has used an airbrush rather than conventional brushes to give her skin a very soft look. There are many tools and techniques for painting a portrait.

Chuck Close has been studying the human portrait for 30 years. He makes a photograph, blows it up and works from a graph or grid to record all the details. His paintings are usually extremely large. Their size and detail, along with the way the paint is applied, are what makes them unusual. “Leslie” by Chuck Close

Chuck Close “Self- Portrait”

Chuck Close Self-Portrait

“Portrait of Helga” by Andrew Wyeth

Andrew Wyeth paints with watercolor.

Andrew Wyeth “Trodden” His paintings are very finished and controlled. Is this a portrait?

David Levine’s caricatures are some of the best in this field.

Another of Levine’s caricatures. Stokley Carmichael

Caricature of our president.

David Hockney “My Parents”

Another David Hockney double portrait

Portrait by David Hockney