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Portraits have for centuries been one of the most important art forms. But what do portraits tell us? What do they mean? And what makes a picture into a portrait? In this book, leading art philosopher Cynthia Freeland addresses these questions and more. As she shows, portraits have served two fundamental functions throughout the ages. Firstly, they preserve identity, bringing us closer to loved ones who are either absent or dead. And secondly, they tell us something about the subject being portrayed: not just external things such as what they are wearing, but also about the subject's emotions and inner state. Along the way, she addresses a whole host of fascinating problems posed by the art of portraiture. Can a picture of an animal truly be a portrait? How exactly have artists through the ages managed to depict the inner state of the subject being portrayed? Is it in fact possible for an artist to capture someone's individual 'air', their unique aura? And how has science been used to help in this quest? As Freeland shows, portraits are far more than just pretty pictures. They are a fundamental way of looking at ourselves and others, raising profound questions about our identity, how it is revealed, and how it can be preserved even after death.
This dynamic, inspiring, and comprehensive showcase of professional lighting techniques features exciting and innovative work from photographers around the world, explaining the lighting set-ups that are essential to their success.
“Faces are the most interesting things we see; other people fascinate me, and the most interesting aspect of other people—the point where we go inside them—is the face. It tells all.” —David Hockney Ever since he made his first portraits and self-portraits at the age of sixteen, David Hockney has been fascinated by people—“the human clay,” as W. H. Auden put it—and how they have been represented throughout the history of art. As much as any other artist in recent years, he has embraced, invigorated, and often subverted traditional portraiture, making it a central concern of his work. Through a careful selection of works both iconic and previously unpublished, this book explores the many ways in which Hockney has depicted the people around him, be they famous names such as Andy Warhol, Christopher Isherwood, and W. H. Auden or lifelong friends such as Henry Geldzahler and Celia Birtwell, among many others. It tells the story of the artist’s relationships with family, friends, and lovers, illustrated by works ranging from the intimate and frequently moving studies of his parents and partners to his more recent large-scale double portraits in watercolor. Revealing and always touching, Hockney’s Portraits and People is both a unique record of the life and loves of one of the world’s best-known artists and a valuable glimpse of the moment when life and art meet.
A striking collection by the eminent photographer encompasses her visual translations of how people live and do their work, showcasing her images of historically and culturally relevant homes belonging to such famous figures as Sigmund Freud, Charles Darwin and Louisa May Alcott.
Portraits are everywhere. One finds them not only in museums and galleries, but also in newspapers and magazines, in the homes of people and in the boardrooms of companies, on stamps and coins, on millions of cell phones and computers. Despite its huge popularity, however, portraiture hasn’t received much philosophical attention. While there are countless art historical studies of portraiture, contemporary philosophy has largely remained silent on the subject. This book aims to address that lacuna. It brings together philosophers (and philosophically minded historians) with different areas of expertise to discuss this enduring and continuously fascinating genre. The chapters in this collection are ranged under five broad themes. Part I examines the general nature of portraiture and what makes it distinctive as a genre. Part II looks at some of the subgenres of portraiture, such as double portraiture, and at some special cases, such as sport card portraits and portraits of people not present. How emotions are expressed and evoked by portraits is the central focus of Part III, while Part IV explores the relation between portraiture, fiction, and depiction more generally. Finally, in Part V, some of the ethical issues surrounding portraiture are addressed. The book closes with an epilogue about portraits of philosophers. Portraits and Philosophy tangles with deep questions about the nature and effects of portraiture in ways that will substantially advance the scholarly discussion of the genre. It will be of interest to scholars and students working in philosophy of art, history of art, and the visual arts.
Seeking similar? Looking for love? In the market for a mate? Ever wanted to see the faces behind the ads? Here's your chance. This quirky collection of portraits reveals the real people behind actual ads placed in newspapers. For two years the author scoured the classifieds for the most outlandish and the most charming ads. After tracking down the lonely hearts, he staged elaborate portraits in which they act out their self-descriptions. Included are more than sixty aspiring lovers along with the original text of their ads -- from a debonair hermaphrodite to a seventy-eight-year-old virgin to a Peter Pan look-alike. A great gift for Valentine's Day, this book will shock, titillate, and tickle.
Offers brief sketches of famous and ordinary Japanese citizens, including Yukio Mishima, Akira Kurosawa, Toshiro Mifune, and Nagisa Oshima.
