"The aim of Art is to present not the outward appearance of things, but their inner significance; for this, not the external manner and detail, constitutes true reality. - Aristotle
In ancient cultures human form was used primarily to portray the supernatural.
Venus of Willendorf, 20,000 B.C.E.
Isis/Aphrodite 2nd century Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Egyptian painting from the time of Akhenaton 1353-35 B.C.E.
Heracles and Athena. Tondo of an Attic red-figure kylix, 480470 BC. From Vulci
Belvedere Apollo, Greek 5 B.C.E.
As civilization grew and people became stable specialists arose as did a ruling or monied class.
Fayum Mummy Portraits dating from 1st century B.C.E.
Mughal Empire 1526 mid 19th century
Prince Khurram (Shah Jahan) with his son Dara Shikoh: Leaf from an album made for Emperor Shah Jahan, ca. 1620; Mughal, period of Jahangir (160527
Two gentlemen engrossed in conversation while two others look on, a Chinese painting on a ceramic tile from a tomb near Luoyang, Henan province, dated to the Eastern Han Dynasty (25220 AD)
Han Dynasty Painting, 206 BCE 220 AD
Four Generals of Zhongxing by Southern Song Dynasty artists Liu Songnian (1174-1224).
The official Chinese court portrait painting of the empress and wife of Song DynastyemperorQinzong(1100 1161)
Qin Shi Huangdi - "First Emperor of Qin Dynasty"
Soon after the French and American revolutions (18th century) the more common man became interested in portraiture. After all, everyone was created equal.
sillouette
Robert Cornelius, Self Portrait, 1839
Vncent van Gogh, Self Portrait, 1889
Henri Matisse, Madame Matisse (the Green Stripe), 1905
Portraits from the RenaissanceWhere were you in a past life?
Western and Eastern Roman Empires
Middle Ages in EuropeApprox 5th century to 15th century
Fall of Roman Empire
Decentralized governments based on isolated kingdoms
no infrastructure or cross cultural exchange
- Unsafe to travel distances, people subject to extreme changes (like invaders, weather, disease)
- Cultural and educational institutions broke down. Lack of educational opportunities superstition abounded
Islamic Golden Age Islamic science and technology more advanced. Islamic expansion underway
- Crusades reaction to this expansion land grab
- Catholic Church filled void in the lives of European
Mythical King Ninus, mid 13th century
Tommaso da Modena (1325-1379)
Duccio, Virgin as Queen of Heaven, 1308-11
Duccio, Virgin as Queen of Heaven, 1308-11
Wilton Diptych, artist unknown, 1377 - 1413
Wilton Diptych, artist unknown, 1377 - 1413
Masaccio, early 15th century
Guiliano da Rimini, Portrait of St. Catherine, early 14th century at Moretti, Firenz
Hieronymus Bosch, The Garden of Earthly Delights, 1504
The Renaissance CultureReturning interest in things Greek and Roman including architecture, philosophy, literature and scienceRevival of humanism the dignity of mankindDevelopment of a rich merchant classCross-cultural exchanges with many culturesStill a mans worldArtists move from craftspeople to gentleman class
Piero della Francesca, Portraits-Of-Federico-Da-Montefeltro-And-His-Wife-Battista-Sforza-1465-66
PisanelloUnknown Master
Fra Filippo LippiBotticelli
ALESSO BALDOVINETTI, Portrait of a Lady in Yellow, 1400s, The National Gallery of Art, LondonBronzino, Portrait of Lucrezia Panciatichi., 1540Egg tempera vs. oil
Masaccio -- Profile Portrait of a Young Man -- Rome, Italy -- 1425Jan Van Eyck, Portrait of a Man in a Turbanpossibly a self-portrait, painted 1433
Jan Van Eyck
Jan Van Eyck
Albrecht Drer
Hans Holbein
Da VinciBellini
Leonardo da Vinci
Raphael
Bronzino
Bronzino
Bronzino
Titian
Giuseppe Arcimboldo , The Emperor Rudolph II as Vertumnus about 1590
http://laughingsquid.com/airplane-lavatory-self-portraits-in-the-flemish-style/
Around the time of Akhenaton the pharohs were declarded gods so the likeness began to resemble actual people.*With the coming of democracy the average person felt like the had a right to be immortalized as well . The sillouette was an inexpensive way to create a portrait for the common man.*With the advent of photography creating an likeness became quite easy and accessible.*This allowed artists to explore a more expressionistic depiction of their subjects.*Roman Empire republic changed to empire around the time of Julius Ceaser 44 BCE 5 AD. It collapsed under its own weight due to over expansion and inflation, invasion and cutting off of trades routes due to Muslim expansion.*