Considerations on portraiture in painting
Exteriority and interiority
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21814/2i.7159Keywords:
portraiture, painting, exteriority, likeness, interiorityAbstract
For centuries, the pursuit of likeness in the interiority of the subject has persisted in the practice of portraiture, which can still be observed in the contemporary context, although in a less incisive way. Due to the usually flattering nature of these types of portraits, it is also important to reveal something about the subject’s soul, their emotions and inner life, reflecting the depth of the person portrayed. In this article, we intend to make some considerations on exteriority and interiority in portraiture painting, through a theoretical framework. The first section of the text addresses a search for physical resemblance that characterized a significant portion of the history of painting, especially before the emergence of photography. The second part is dedicated to the complexity of unveiling the interiority of the model through physical appearance; and it is considered the role of the pose in conveying the subject’s inner life.
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