History of Portraiture

About This Course

This course is a survey of portraiture in Western art from ancient times to the modern era, with an emphasis on the Renaissance and Baroque periods, during which the genre of portraiture reached its apogee. It looks at portraiture primarily in painting. However, references to sculpture, prints, photography and even non-traditional media may be made in the appropriate context. Besides looking at the historical development of portraiture, this course also discusses other aspects of portraiture such as the functions and conventions of portraits, as well as the methods and techniques of portrait painting. Themes and issues in portraiture relating to identity, interpretation and problems of likeness will also be discussed.