What Is A Portrait?

I think that, in its rawest idea, a portrait is an expression, weather it be an expression of a person, or a place, or a time, it is a view into the artists world, it is probably one of the most honest ways that an artist can express themselves because they are opening themselves up to the world for everyone to view. And even if the portrait isn't of the artist himself, its all still the same, the artist is still doing the same thing as if the portrait was of himself.
1 2 3

4 5 6

1.Shiva at Whistle Creek 2.Self Portrait by Jacob Lawrence 3.Georgia O'Keeffe by Alfred Stieglitz

4.Portrait of Dr. Gachet by Vincent Van Gogh 5.Madame X by John Singer Sargent 6.Portrait of Gorg Gisz by Hans Holbein The Younger

I didn't know which 3 to pick because I like so many, so I picked 6 : )

1, 3, and 5 are all fairly similar in the composition, the person who the portrait is of takes up most of the picture, or, if there is other stuff, its just there to make the painting seam not totally empty(#5). In these three portraits, the main focus on on the subject herself, not on all the other random stuff around her. They are trying to show some type of emotion of the woman pictured, or maybe just her beauty as the main subject in all three. Numbers 2, 4, and 6, on the other hand, all have background objects and various things. These show the main subject in his life, or even in a single moment in his life. With there being other things to look at in the paintings, I dont think that it takes anything away from the main focus of the men in the paintings, it kind of adds a new level of being able to look at them and understand them.

The clothing that each subject is wearing also sends a different message. #1, the woman is probably naked, this is different from #5 is her elegant black dress, and that's still different from #6 in his elaborate dress.

Pretty much every artist has stuck to the idea that a portrait is some kind of view of the artist himself, or a view of another person. Some are more traditional looking, #6, and some are more modern looking, #1, 2, 3.