Portrait paintings

Famous Portrait Artists and Famous Portrait Paintings

Often, the subject of a portrait is better remembered than the artist that painted it (with the exception of self-portraits). This is essentially due to the fact that each portrait painting, more than in any other genre, has a special relationship with its audience. It draws them in, provoking varying levels of emotion, remaining imprinted on their memory and thus fulfilling its main objective of perpetuating the memory of a person.

As portrait paintings are the most popular genre of all time, every artist worth their salt will go through a portrait painting stage, transposing it in their universe using the pictorial trends of their time. When commissioned, the artist receives very specific directions leading to the production of numerous preparatory sketches. Nonetheless, painters can, depending on the subject, style and temperament, use pictorial innovations that will make their portrait paintings into timeless artworks.

This has led to a huge variety of styles in the production of the most famous portrait paintings, from the colorful strokes found in the self-portraits of Vincent Van Gogh, to Albrecht Dürer's Self-portrait, the enigmatic smile of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and academic portraits such as Rembrandt's Syndics of the Drapers' Guild.

The History of Portrait Paintings and Modern Portrait Paintings

Dating back to Antiquity, the purpose of portrait painting has continually evolved throughout the ages. From Antiquity to the Renaissance, portrait paintings were essentially commissioned by wealthy patrons who, seeking to leave a trace of their time on this earth, wanted to pass on a laudatory, idealized depiction of their person (virtuous, pious, beautiful, etc.).

A true tool of propaganda, the portrait has also been used by powerful figures in the world to convey to their subjects and rivals a representation of their power through original staging in which symbols take centre-stage (eg. Portrait of Louis XIV, Hyacinthe Rigaud; Portrait of Pope Innocent X, Diégo Velazquez). Today photography often occupies the same role, producing a more modest, family-centric portrait.

However, art of portraiture can be seen in modern portrait painting as some artists carried on the tradition, but they often use this opportunity to rework the genre and represent a subject in a new light. Many famous artists created modern portrait paintings such as Francis Bacon, Lucian Freud, Andrew Wyeth and Frida Kahlo. Today, contemporary portrait artists such as Kehinde Wiley, Jenny Seville, Amy Sherald and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye create portraits wherein the subjects may or may not really exist. The intention stays the same, however, to convey a message about society and the person within the confines of the canvas.