"The aim of Art is to present not the outward appearance of things, but their inner significance; for this, not the external manner and detail, constitutes true reality. - Aristotle

In ancient cultures human form was used primarily to portray the supernatural.

Venus of Willendorf, 20,000 B.C.E.

Isis/Aphrodite 2nd century Egypt

Ancient Egypt

Egyptian painting from the time of Akhenaton 1353-35 B.C.E.

Heracles and Athena. Tondo of an Attic red-figure kylix, 480470 BC. From Vulci

Belvedere Apollo, Greek 5 B.C.E.

As civilization grew and people became stable specialists arose as did a ruling or monied class.

Fayum Mummy Portraits dating from 1st century B.C.E.

Mughal Empire 1526 mid 19th century

Prince Khurram (Shah Jahan) with his son Dara Shikoh: Leaf from an album made for Emperor Shah Jahan, ca. 1620; Mughal, period of Jahangir (160527

Two gentlemen engrossed in conversation while two others look on, a Chinese painting on a ceramic tile from a tomb near Luoyang, Henan province, dated to the Eastern Han Dynasty (25220 AD)

Han Dynasty Painting, 206 BCE 220 AD

Four Generals of Zhongxing by Southern Song Dynasty artists Liu Songnian (1174-1224).

The official Chinese court portrait painting of the empress and wife of Song DynastyemperorQinzong(1100 1161)

Qin Shi Huangdi - "First Emperor of Qin Dynasty"

Soon after the French and American revolutions (18th century) the more common man became interested in portraiture. After all, everyone was created equal.

sillouette

Robert Cornelius, Self Portrait, 1839

Vncent van Gogh, Self Portrait, 1889

Henri Matisse, Madame Matisse (the Green Stripe), 1905

Portraits from the RenaissanceWhere were you in a past life?

Western and Eastern Roman Empires

Middle Ages in EuropeApprox 5th century to 15th century

Fall of Roman Empire

Decentralized governments based on isolated kingdoms

no infrastructure or cross cultural exchange

- Unsafe to travel distances, people subject to extreme changes (like invaders, weather, disease)

- Cultural and educational institutions broke down. Lack of educational opportunities superstition abounded

Islamic Golden Age Islamic science and technology more advanced. Islamic expansion underway

- Crusades reaction to this expansion land grab

- Catholic Church filled void in the lives of European

Mythical King Ninus, mid 13th century

Tommaso da Modena (1325-1379)

Duccio, Virgin as Queen of Heaven, 1308-11

Duccio, Virgin as Queen of Heaven, 1308-11

Wilton Diptych, artist unknown, 1377 - 1413

Wilton Diptych, artist unknown, 1377 - 1413

Masaccio, early 15th century

Guiliano da Rimini, Portrait of St. Catherine, early 14th century at Moretti, Firenz

Hieronymus Bosch, The Garden of Earthly Delights, 1504

The Renaissance CultureReturning interest in things Greek and Roman including architecture, philosophy, literature and scienceRevival of humanism the dignity of mankindDevelopment of a rich merchant classCross-cultural exchanges with many culturesStill a mans worldArtists move from craftspeople to gentleman class

Piero della Francesca, Portraits-Of-Federico-Da-Montefeltro-And-His-Wife-Battista-Sforza-1465-66

PisanelloUnknown Master

Fra Filippo LippiBotticelli

ALESSO BALDOVINETTI, Portrait of a Lady in Yellow, 1400s, The National Gallery of Art, LondonBronzino, Portrait of Lucrezia Panciatichi., 1540Egg tempera vs. oil

Masaccio -- Profile Portrait of a Young Man -- Rome, Italy -- 1425Jan Van Eyck, Portrait of a Man in a Turbanpossibly a self-portrait, painted 1433

Jan Van Eyck

Jan Van Eyck

Albrecht Drer

Hans Holbein

Da VinciBellini

Leonardo da Vinci

Raphael

Bronzino

Bronzino

Bronzino

Titian

Giuseppe Arcimboldo , The Emperor Rudolph II as Vertumnus about 1590

http://laughingsquid.com/airplane-lavatory-self-portraits-in-the-flemish-style/

Around the time of Akhenaton the pharohs were declarded gods so the likeness began to resemble actual people.*With the coming of democracy the average person felt like the had a right to be immortalized as well . The sillouette was an inexpensive way to create a portrait for the common man.*With the advent of photography creating an likeness became quite easy and accessible.*This allowed artists to explore a more expressionistic depiction of their subjects.*Roman Empire republic changed to empire around the time of Julius Ceaser 44 BCE 5 AD. It collapsed under its own weight due to over expansion and inflation, invasion and cutting off of trades routes due to Muslim expansion.*