230150 The Art of the Portrait: From Holbein to Freud (S) (WiSe 2015/2016)

Through the History of Portraiture, we have seen humans portrayed as omens and sacred fetishes, divine beings and historical personages, a part of nature and conquerors of nature, passionate individuals and part of a mass consciousness, subjects of experimentation and icons of self. But we have never sufficiently defined portraiture. I have avoided this subject precisely because it is a source of endless interpretation, and in history one must take care not to impose one's own standards on the works in question. But in lieu of a clear definition of what constitutes portraiture, I will offer my personal interpretation. Portraiture is the art that immortalizes. Portraiture is the art that remembers a person at their most manifest moment, and relates their story to the world. If this definition seems unlikely to you, consider the Mona Lisa. (http://www.family-portrait.net/portraithistory.php)