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portraiture

portraiture, the art of representing the physical or psychological likeness of a real or imaginary individual. The principal portrait media are painting, drawing, sculpture, and photography. From earliest times the portrait has been considered a means to immortality. Many cultures have attributed magical properties to the portrait: symbolization of the majesty or authority of the subject, substitution for a deceased individual's living presence or theft of the soul of the living subject.

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The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

More on portraiture from Infoplease:

portraiture: meaning and definitions - portraiture: Definition and Pronunciation
portraiture: American Portraiture - American Portraiture In the United States during the 18th cent. the painters John Singleton Copley, ...
portraiture: Modern Portraiture - Modern Portraiture The portrait had been a major source of income to painters since the ...
portraiture: Photographic Portraiture - Photographic Portraiture The miniature portrait had retained its popularity with all social classes ...
portraiture: Bibliography - Bibliography See J. D. Breckenridge, Likeness: A Conceptual History of Ancient Portraiture (1968); ...

See more Encyclopedia articles on: Art: General

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