Genre portrait in art. Portrait as a genre of fine art

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Portrait - a word of French origin (portrait), meaning "depict". The portrait genre is a type of fine art dedicated to conveying the image of one person, as well as a group of two or three people, on canvas or paper. The style chosen by the artist is of particular importance. Drawing a person's face in a portrait is one of the most difficult areas in painting. The master of the brush must convey the characteristic features of appearance, emotional state, and the inner world of the posing person. The size of a portrait determines its appearance. The image can be bust, generational, half-length or full-length. The pose assumes three angles: face (full face), turn "three quarters" in one direction or another and in profile. A portrait as a genre of fine art contains unlimited possibilities for the realization of artistic ideas. First, a sketch is made, then the drawing itself.

History of the portrait genre

The oldest attempt to depict a human face dates back 27,000 years. "Painting" was discovered in a cave, not farfrom the French city of Angouleme. The portrait is a contour outlined in chalk, vaguely resembling the features of a human face. The ancient artist outlined the main lines of the eyes, nose, mouth. Later (also in caves) in the Balkans and Italy, clearer and more definite images began to appear, among which faces drawn in profile predominated. It is human nature to create, talented people cannot live without leaving some trace behind. It can be a pattern laid out of pebbles in the middle of a field, a carved ornament on the bark of a tree, someone's face drawn with charcoal on a rock. Opportunities for creativity are endless.

Stucco images

Once the portrait genre tended to be embodied in sculpture, since in ancient times there were no artists who thoroughly mastered the brush and were able to convey the play of light and shadow. The image of a face in clay was better, and therefore in those distant times it was stucco portraits that dominated. The art of painting appeared much later, when humanity realized the need for cultural communication.

Burials

The appearance of images close to the drawing also belongs to a later period, and the first portraits were found in the ancient eastern territories. In the Egyptian state, the deification of the dead took place. 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 portraiture. The history of the portrait genre contains many examples of iconic imagesboth in drawing and sculpture. The drawings of the faces of the dead became more and more similar to the original. And then copying the face of the departed to another world was replaced with a mask. The Egyptian dead began to be buried in sarcophagi, on the lid of which the deceased was depicted in full growth with a beautiful stylized face. Such funerals were arranged exclusively for the nobility. Egyptian pharaohs, for example, were placed not only in a sarcophagus, but also in a tomb, which was a huge structure.

Variety of solutions

The artist has a choice when painting a portrait: depict the person's face and clothing in accordance with the original, or 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 - portrait art, is open to experiments of the widest spectrum. The artist has the opportunity to improve his skills by applying the latest technical achievements.

Indeed, the execution technique is crucial for achieving the optimal result. The most common way of portrait painting by professional artists is oil painting on canvas. This style is rooted in the depths of centuries. It was used by ancient artists. Their work has survived to this day. The 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 created not with strokes, but by rubbing a small amount of paint. At the same time, the brush is almost dry, and the method itself allows you to get beautiful halftones. Since the most delicate genre of painting is a portrait, and the image of a face in paints requires delicate shades, the "dry brush" technique is the best suited for this purpose.

Types

The portrait genre is divided into several types: front, chamber, intimate and plot. There is also a special type called self-portrait, when the artist depicts 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 extended under certain circumstances.

In addition to those already listed, there is another genre of portraiture, which includes special artistic features, a specialized variety that requires a systematic approach. This is a costumed portrait, when a modern person is depicted on the canvas in the clothes of the past. The range of subjects is not limited: from the skins worn by a primitive man to the wedding dress of the Renaissance. In this portrait variety there are elements of theatricality. In the Russian Federation, especially in Moscow, a costumed portrait was widely used, but this did not happen.for the sake of fashion, but rather as a tribute to art.

Portrait genre in art

Paintings, written at different times, are united by one obligatory condition - the pictures must be authentic. 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 out. The expression of the eyes, smiles or, conversely, frowned eyebrows, all the nuances should be reflected on the canvas. The task is not easy, but the reliability factor testifies to the skill of the artist. That is why the portrait genre in art is so unambiguous and requires full dedication from the master. Experienced artists are best at paintings that involve people, close-ups of their faces and accentuated movement.

Literary portraits

Writers, as well as artists, quite often depict a person's face. There are much more literary techniques for this, the rich Russian language allows the use of numerous artistic forms, turns of phrase and phrases. The goal that the writer strives for is identical in meaning to the artist's intention, the writer describes the facial expression as a consequence of a person's moods, a 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 form, the great Maxim Gorky occupies the first place. 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 cheerful or sad, short or lengthy, it all depends on each individual work.

Photo

With the advent of daguerreotype, the possibilities of fine art expanded, and portraits were no exception. A photographic portrait cost much less than an oil painting, and recognition was one hundred percent. And although artists quipped that photography was "painting for the poor," the general public turned towards a more accurate depiction on a silver-plated plate. The portrait photography genre quickly became fashionable, and 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 changing anything. The image froze once and for all, it was impossible to fix something. And given that the person was photographed sitting or standing (in a tense pose), then he did not come out in the picture in the best way. Therefore, there were many disappointments, claims and discontent. Nevertheless, portrait shots caught on, people learned how to pose artistically, and everything fell into place.