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DPChallenge Forums >> Photography Discussion >> Define 'Portrait'
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03/29/2006 05:35:01 AM · #1
Recently, I've chatted to a few people about exactly what is a portrait, some believe that the the description is wide open to the point of including wildlife, whilst others hold with a formal, human, head and shoulders type approach.

I have searched the web but have yet to find a conclusive (or even consistant) definition - does anything exist?

Wikipedia has this entry:

"A portrait is a painting, photograph, or other artistic representation of a person. Portraits are often simple head shots or mug shots and are not usually overly elaborate. The intent is to show the basic appearance of the person, and occasionally some artistic insight into his or her personality."

Any thoughts?
03/29/2006 05:44:33 AM · #2
Definitions of Portrait on the Web:

* a painting of a person's face
* portrayal: a word picture of a person's appearance and character
* any likeness of a person; "the photographer made excellent portraits"
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

* A portrait is a painting, photograph, or other artistic representation of a person. Portraits are often simple head shots or mug shots and are not usually overly elaborate or creative. The intent is to show the basic appearance of the person, and occasionally some artistic insight into his or her personality.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portrait

* Portrait is the fifth album by American pop group The 5th Dimension, released in 1970 (see 1970 in music).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portrait_(album)

* description of a format which is deeper than it is wide.
www.publishers.org.uk/paweb/paweb.nsf/0/AB6267C37C470E1480256AD80057F556

* an upright image or page where the height is greater than the width.
www.purdue.edu/printingservices/support/glossary/glossltoq.htm

* a representation of a person or group or animal on a two-dimensional medium that typically also shows some aspect symbolic of the subject.
www.worldimages.com/art_glossary.php

* A page whose width is shorter than its height.
www.relyprint.com/help_dictionary.html

* A painting, drawing, sculpture, photograph, or other representation of a real person, living or dead, especially of the face. An artist who specializes in portraits is known as a portraitist.
www.artsmia.org/art_in_america/glossary.html

* a type subject matter for a work of art where the artist focuses on representing the likeness of an individual (examples: Jan van Eyck's "Arnolfini Wedding," Piero della Francesca's portraits of Battista Sforza and Federigo da Montefeltro or Leonardo's Mona Lisa).
www.bergerfoundation.ch/glossaire/italie/glossaire.html

* A picture of a person or persons that captures their likeness, especially their face. (See Portrait photography.)
photographytips.com/page.cfm/2062

* A vertical page orientation. Eg: the depth of the page is greater than the width. (as opposed to landscape format)
members.shaw.ca/mackop/shop.html

* An upright, oblong artwork or photograph where vertical dimension is greater than the horizontal.
www.lithosphere.co.uk/content/glossary.htm

* a picture (as a painting or photograph) of a person, usually showing the face.
library.thinkquest.org/6275/Glossary.html

* A rendering of a person in any medium.
www.brigantine.atlnet.org/GigapaletteGALLERY/websites/ARTiculationFinal/MainPages/O-RVocabulary.htm

* A page or screen orientation that is taller than it is wide.
www.multiplemonitors.org/Pages%20-%20about%20MMI/MMI%20-%20glossary.html

* a portrait is an accurate likeness of a specific person or people. Sometimes a portrait can tell about the personality of that person.
www.umfa.utah.edu/

* a crafted image to reveal character.
www.ffotogallery.org/th-edu/glossary.htm

* The orientation of a document or graphic to be vertical ie, the width is less than the height. See also Landscape.
www.assistireland.ie/glossary.asp

* subject matter category in which the main purpose of the art work is to communicate a likeness of an individual or group of individuals
www.ket.org/artstoolkit/varts/glossary.htm

* For printing, the orientation of the lines of type or the top of an illustration parallel to the short edge of the paper.
board-web.lausd.k12.ca.us/help/glossary.htm

* Page or illustration deeper than it is wide.
www.bindery.com.au/glossary.htm

* Oblong paper, having its short sides at head and foot.
www.anchorpress.co.nz/glossary

* Artwork that shows the face or figure of a person.
www.ncpublicschools.org/curriculum/artsed/scos/visualarts/vglossary

* vertical page orientation
www.linnbenton.edu/printingservices/Glossary.html

* The image of a person, especially of the face. It can be made of any sculptural material of any two-dimensional medium.
home.ipoline.com/~legends/Insatiable/artbasics/html/terms-p.html

* An orientation where the long dimension of a rectangular area (for example, screen or paper) is vertical.
msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/dnwue/html/gloss.asp

* the likeness of a person or animal
www.blockwerks.com/museum/misc/vocab_list2.html

* A document with vertical orientation. In other words, the page is taller than it is wide. Portrait orientation is opposite of Landscape.
www.scotsmist.co.uk/glossary_p.html
03/29/2006 08:34:42 AM · #3
I think simply "portrait" refers to a human and it can be differentiated by "animal portrait" or "pet portrait" to broaden the playing field.
03/29/2006 08:35:37 AM · #4
Why does it have to be defined?
03/29/2006 09:18:08 AM · #5
Originally posted by colda:


Wikipedia has this entry:
[...]
Any thoughts?


My first thought is that Wikipedia is the last place I'd go to get an accurate definition of something.

My second thought is why does it need to be defined and constrained ?
My view on a portrait is something that gives you an impression of a person, so it could just be a shot of a particularly expressive hand, or it could even be a picture of a person's environment, without the person even in the frame.

Message edited by author 2006-03-29 09:20:05.
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