• Historical Overview   Twentieth century portraiture is very different from portraiture commissioned between the 14th and nineteenth centuries. Traditionally, there was basically one "type" of portrait - it depicted the position or status of the person being painted or sculpted. The name 'Henry', in King Henry the VIII, was of little consequence. What mattered was the title of "King Henry". The portrait had but one goal - to depict the King at his most "Royal", i.e. at his most powerful, rich, benevolent (or despotic) best - whichever was the politically correct quality to have at that time. If the subject was the Queen or Consort of the King, or the child or other relative of a King or Queen, it was the position held which was portrayed and much less the person. What had to be depicted was the "value" of the subject to the Master or the role of that person as it pertained to the needs of the ruling Master. The portrait, in its richness, also served to "publicize" the generosity and\or general wealth of the Ruler. Suffice to say that the person, "the individual", was not the essence of a traditional portrait. Portraiture, since the fourteenth century, has evolved greatly. The representation of what one was soon evolved into another rule of portraiture. The gradual introduction of a wealthy business, academic, legal, religious and medical class provided portrait painters and sculptors with a new guideline: the representation of what one did as a profession. From the "position held" to the "work done" portraiture constantly adapted itself and embraced every new societal focus. Today, portraits represent who we are as specific and unique individuals.
  

• Contemporary Portraiture   Contemporary portraiture speaks a different language. Today, we commission a portrait of oneself, of a loved one, of a friend or colleague, to celebrate the uniqueness of that specific individual, even though the portrait's goal may also have a secondary characteristic of defining a position or status.
  

• Getting a Likeness   The invention of the camera more than one hundred years ago has given us an equally compelling reason for the 'who I am' focus of contemporary portraiture. Photos recognize what we look like in very minute details. "Likeness", therefore, is now not only an accepted feature in contemporary portraiture, but more often than not it is a requirement. Our likeness has become a visual benchmark by which we communicate with others. A technically skilled portrait painter has little difficulty achieving this goal. Nonetheless, it should not be the only consideration. A portrait should go deeper, speak eloquently of the subject; of his/her personality as a stand-alone individual. Uniqueness of personality, and strength of character is as important as a person's achievements or position when a portrait is commissioned. Whether the subject is a young child, an adolescent or an adult, the prime consideration should always be the representation of the uniqueness of the painted or sculpted subject. Contemporary portraiture therefore tends more towards the psychological than does classical portraiture.

© Bernard Poulin, CIPA