Research - Portraits

A portrait can be either a photograph, painting or sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person. In which the face and its expressions are predominant. The intent is to display the likeness, personality, mood and even the patriarchal status. But in photography, it is not considered a snapshot, but a composed image of a person in a still position. A portrait often shows a person looking directly at the painter or photographer, in order to most successfully engage the subject with the viewer.

Most early historic representations are clearly intended to show an individual era of rulers, and tend to follow idealising artistic conventions, rather than the individual features of the subjects body, though when there us no other evidence as to the rulers appearance the degree of idealisation can be hard to assess.

The art form of portraiture goes back to at least ancient Egypt, where it flourished from about 5,000 years ago. The uses of paint, sculptures or drawn portraits were the only way to record the appearance of someone before the invention of photography. A portrait is intended to record the appearance of an individual, but may sometimes represent a type. They may be of any medium used for sculpture, such as marble, bronze, terracotta, plaster, wax or wood.

They have been used to show the power, importance, virtue, beauty, wealth, taste, learning or other qualities of the sitter. Portraits have almost always been flattering, and painters who refused to flatter, such as William Hogarth, tended to find their work rejected.

Figurative art describes any form of modern art that retains strong references to the real world and particularly to the human figure. It is a type of art where the subject matter is recognisable from the real world, hence it shares a “likeness” of shapes, objects, figures, or even places. For example, the Mona Lisa.

An artist who was well known for his portraits of wealthy and known people is Hans Holbein the Younger (1497 - 1543), who was a paint and print maker who worked in a Northern Renaissance style, and is considered one of the greater portraitists of the 16th century. He is called "the Younger" to distinguish him from his father, Hans Holbein the Elder, who was an accomplished painter of the Late Gothic school.

His art has sometimes been called realist, since he drew and painted with a rare precision. He was never content with outward appearance, however; he embedded layers of symbolism, allusion, and paradox in his art, to the lasting fascination of scholars.

Such as his work called 'The Ambassadors,' created with oil on oak in 1533, with Jean de Dinteville and Georges de Selve, containing all sorts of symbolism with the objects in the image.

My opinion on this painting is that it could show some of the luxuries of that time period, such as the globes and lute can show that people with money could buy such things, whereas today anyone can buy them. The curtain that covers the background looks expensive, apart from the material, green had a resurgence in art during the Impressionist movement due to advancements in green pigments and paints, as it could be seen as a rich colour depending on the setting.

The Ambassadors was painted during Holbein's second stay in England (1532-43), which coincided with Henry VIII's break with Rome - over his decision to anull his marriage with Catherine of Aragon - and the formation of the English Protestant Church.

The painting memorialises Jean de Dinteville, French ambassador to England, and his friend, Georges de Selve, who acted on several occasions as French ambassador to the Republic of Venice, to the Pope in Rome, and to England, Germany, and Spain. Upon closer inspection, it is seen that the face of Dinteville is in more light than Selve, potentially suggesting that Holbein highlights more important figures this way. Dinteville is positioned with his legs more apart suggesting that he is asserting dominance in a way, showing who is more powerful between the two. Them both being stood on a patterned floor in front of a green, what seems expensive, curtain, also showing that they are high in status as they would be able to afford these types of things.

The upper shelf includes a celestial globe, a portable sundial, and other various instruments that are used for understanding more about the heavens and measuring time, while the lower shelf reflects the affairs of the world as it contains musical instruments, a hymn book, a book of arithmetics and a terrestrial globe. This could all show a representation of space and things about stars on the top shelve, suggesting that it is the sky, and earth as things we would use and find on earth are there too. Potentially showing the important things.

Furthermore, the religion and politics was reflected symbolically in the details of the painting.

- A crucifix that is half-obscured by the green curtain in the top left of the painting, symbolising the division of the church.

- The broken string on the lute evokes ecclesiastical disharmony during the Reformation.

The Reformation was the start of Protestantism and the split of the Western Church into Protestantism and what is now known as the Roman Catholic Church.

- The open book of music next to the lute has been identified as a Lutheran hymnal, and the book of mathematics is open on a page of divisions which opens with the word "Dividirt."

At the bottom of the image we see an elongated skull, as artists often incorporated skulls as a reminder of mortality. Holbein may have intended the skulls and the crucifix in the upper left corner to encourage contemplation of one's impending death and the resurrection.

Another painting of Holbein's called 'A Lady with a Squirrel and a Starling (Anne Lovell?).'

It is an oil-on-oak portrait completed in around 1526–1528 by German Renaissance painter Hans Holbein the Younger. The painting shows a demurely dressed young woman sitting against a plain blue background and holding in her lap a squirrel on a chain eating a nut; a starling sits on a grape vine.

My opinion of this painting is that the Starling could be telling the Lady something, as Starlings are symbolic of communication, of relationships with your other people of society, and your standing in society. They also symbolize unity; often seen flocking together, these birds have learned that we are always stronger together than alone.

The quote of 'your standing of society' can refer to the woman's status in the time that this was painted (1526 - 1528), as the woman's job was to take care of the home, help her husband with his work, and produce children. Power writes, “the great majority of women lived and died wholly unrecorded as they laboured in the field, the farm, and the home” (Loyn, 346).

A squirrel, like the ones in the Lady's lap, represents rebirth, renewal, energy, positivity, hard work, duty and balance. While squirrels consistently guide us towards working hard and being prepared, the squirrel totem specifically guides one's attitude. The squirrel totem represents positivity.

Both of these animals together could represent the Lady's future, to remind the Lady of staying in her place due to the patriarchy.

The background of the painting is a darker turquoise colour, and the representation of this colour means wisdom, tranquility, and protection from harm and negative energy. Meaning that the Lady is in a state of piece with her current lifestyle.

Women who faced left in portraits were suggested to be a weak and submissive role in society, whereas facing the right in the painting makes them seem more powerful. Which was common for painting with people in higher power, as they had the wealth and status.