Portrait is a word of French origin (portrait) meaning "to depict." The portrait genre is a kind of fine art dedicated to the transfer of the image of one person, as well as a group of two or three people on canvas or a paper sheet. Of particular importance is the style chosen by the artist. The face painting of a person in a portrait is one of the most difficult areas in painting. The master of the brush must convey the characteristic signs of appearance, emotional state, and the inner world of the posing. The dimensions of the portrait determine its appearance. The image may be chest, generation, waist or full-length. The pose involves three foreshortenings: face (full face), a three-quarter turn in one direction or another and in profile. Portrait as a genre of fine art, contains unlimited possibilities for the implementation of artistic ideas. First, a sketch is made, then the drawing itself.
History of the genre portrait
The oldest attempt to represent a person’s face is 27 thousand years old. The "painting" was discovered in a cave near the French city of Angouleme. The portrait is a contoured with chalk outline, remotely resembling the features of a human face. The ancient artist outlined the main lines of the eyes, nose, and mouth. Later (also in caves) in the Balkans and in Italy, sharper and more definite images began to appear, among which the faces painted in profile prevailed. It is human nature to create, talented people cannot live without leaving a trace. It can be a pebbled pattern in the middle of the field, a carved ornament on the bark of a tree, someone's face painted with coal on a rock. There are as many opportunities for creativity.
Stucco images
Once upon a time, the portrait genre tended to be embodied in sculpture, since in ancient times there were no artists who thoroughly owned a brush and were able to convey the play of light and shadow. The image of the face in clay worked better, and therefore in those days, it was stucco portraits that dominated. The art of painting appeared much later, when mankind realized the need for cultural communication.
Burial places
The appearance of images close to the drawing also refers to a later period, and the first portraits were found in ancient eastern territories. In the Egyptian state there was a deification of the dead. During the burial, a kind of portrait was created, which was conditionally considered a double of the deceased. The principle of mummification appeared, and then portraying. The history of the portrait genre contains many examples of cult images in both drawing and sculpture. The drawings of the faces of the deceased became more and more similar to the original. And then copying the face of a departed into another world was replaced by a mask. The Egyptian deceased began to be buried in sarcophagi, on the lid of which was depicted the deceased in full growth with a beautiful stylized face. Such a funeral was held exclusively for the nobility. Egyptian pharaohs, for example, were placed not only in the sarcophagus, but also in the tomb, which was a huge building.
Variety of solutions
When painting a portrait, the artist has a choice: to depict the person’s face and clothes in accordance with the original or to be creative, creating an exquisite creative picture. The main condition for this remains the similarity, which plays a dominant role. An independent genre of painting - portraiture, is open to experiments on a wide range. The artist has the opportunity to improve his skills by applying the latest technical achievements.
Indeed, the technique of execution is crucial for achieving the optimal result. The most common way of portraiture by professional artists is oil painting on canvas. This style goes back centuries. It was used by artists of antiquity. Their work has survived to the present day. Portrait as a genre of fine art has existed since time immemorial, and today it is a popular means of artistic expression.
Dry brush
Recently, the "dry brush" technique has become popular , when the image is not created by strokes, but by rubbing a small amount of paint. In this case, the brush is almost dry, and the method itself allows you to get beautiful halftones. Since the thinnest genre of painting is a portrait, and the image of a face in paints requires just gentle shades, the “dry brush” technique is best suited for this purpose.
Types
The portrait genre is divided into several types: ceremonial, chamber, intimate and plot. There is also a special type called self-portrait, when the artist portrays himself. As a rule, this is a purely individual drawing. In general, the portrait genre is a completely independent type of painting, subject to certain rules. These rules are never violated, although their scope may be expanded in certain circumstances.
In addition to those already listed, there is another portrait genre, which includes special artistic features, a specialized variety that requires a systematic approach. This is a costume portrait when a modern person in past-time clothes is depicted on the canvas. The range of plots is not limited: from the skins that primitive man put on to the wedding attire of the Renaissance. There are elements of theatricality in this portrait variety. In the Russian Federation, especially in Moscow, a costume portrait was widespread, but this did not happen for the sake of fashion, but rather, as a tribute to art.
The genre of portraiture in art
Paintings, painted at different times, are united by one indispensable condition - the paintings must be reliable. An important role is played by the portrait component, in other words, the image of the faces of the characters. The success of the picture depends on how carefully the facial features are written. The expression of eyes, smiles or, conversely, frowning eyebrows, all the nuances should be reflected on the canvas. The task is not easy, but the reliability factor testifies to the artist’s skill. That is why the portrait genre in art is so unambiguous and requires the master to be fully committed. Experienced artists are best at painting, in the plot of which there are people, their faces close-up and accented movement.
Literary portraits
Writers, as well as artists, quite often portray the face of a person. There are much more literary methods for this, the rich Russian language allows the use of numerous art forms, turns and phrases. The goal that the writer aspires to is identical in meaning to the artist’s intention, the writer describes the expression on the face as a consequence of a person’s moods, reflection of his thoughts, emotions and experiences. The genre of literary portrait is quite complicated. It is necessary to describe, avoiding superficial formulations. This requires the skill of a true creator. Among Russian writers who are able to express in a few words the essence of the human face, in the first place is the great Maxim Gorky. His American follower, William Faulkner, also masterfully mastered the art of verbal portraiture. The genre of a literary portrait is diverse, the description follows a certain style, it can be funny or sad, short or lengthy, it all depends on each individual work.
The photo
With the advent of daguerreotype, the possibilities of fine art expanded, and portraits were no exception. A portrait portrait was much cheaper than a picture painted in oil, and recognition was one hundred percent. Although the artists quipped that photography was "painting for the poor," the general public turned to a more accurate image on a silver-coated plate. The genre of photography portrait quickly became fashionable, there was no end to those who wanted to capture themselves and their loved ones.
However, the new method, the daguerreotype, had its drawbacks. Photography, unlike a picturesque portrait, did not allow anything to change. The image froze once and for all, it was impossible to fix something. And when you consider that a person was photographed sitting or standing (in a tense pose), then he came out in the picture not in the best way. Therefore, there were many disappointments, complaints and discontent. Nevertheless, portrait shots took root, people learned to pose artistically, and everything fell into place.