We might imagine that the couple preferred to be remembered for their social class rather than for their specific appearance. Instead, it effectively representsВ a conventional idea of an affluent couple in Etruscan society. But how perfectly must an image emulate the precise appearance of a figure (the visual subject) for us to recognize it? And are we looking at a specific object or person or an image representing a class of subjects? The image of our Etruscan couple makes little attempt to capture the individuals in the way that a modern photographic portrait would. Representational Art presents visual subjects that we can recognize. So, what do you think of the representational technique in the Etruscan effigy? How vividly do you see the husband and wife as individuals? A вЂњgoodвЂќ portrait, many feel, would capture the idiosyncrasies of an individualвЂ™s appearance and character. Centuries of post-Renaissance portraiture and nearly two centuries of photography lead many in the Euro-American West to expect Mimetic, imitative realism. Of course, we approach the image from our own perspective. Portraiture is clearly a branch of Representational Art (also known as Figurative Art) which depicts images that can be recognized from the real world.

Many cultures have attributed magical properties to the portrait: symbolization of the majesty or authority of the subject, substitution for a deceased individualвЂ™s living presence or theft of the soul of the living subject ( Portraiture). From earliest times the portrait has been considered a means to immortality.

The principal portrait media are painting, drawing, sculpture, and photography. The art of representing the physical or psychological likeness of a real or imaginary individual.

Define portraiture